Published by Christina Riley. Last Updated on August 1, 2024.
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The Greensboro Science Center is a museum, zoological park, and aquarium all in one. And for over 60 years, it’s provided education and entertainment to the people of Gate City and beyond.
With aquarium exhibits featuring penguins and various marine life and an outdoor zoo that includes gibbons, lemurs, and more, this place has something for all animal lovers.
We’ve been coming here for a while and each time, it seems like something new waits around every corner.
If you’ve never visited or if you’re a member, follow us as we take you through one of our favorite things to do in Greensboro (especially with kids!), and one definitely worthy of our NC Bucket List.
Because there is so much going on, we’ve organized this guide into the following sections:
- Quick Info (Hours, Admission, and Reciprocity Info)
- Things to Do
You can skip ahead to the “Things to Do” or continue reading our quick guide to hours and more!
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Greensboro Science Center Quick Info
Info can be subject to change. If something here doesn’t reflect current info, please feel free to kindly let us know by email.
Address: 4301 Lawndale Dr, Greensboro, NC
Opening Hours: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Year-Round.
Official Website
Note: Petting Zoo is only open on the weekends from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Prices and Admission Info
Ticket prices vary according to age, but children under 2 get in for free.
You can purchase tickets online or in person. Discounts are available for Greensboro residents, military, college students, and City of Greensboro employees.
Reciprocity
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As an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, you are guaranteed that the Greensboro Science Center meets the highest standards in animal care with the main mission in education, research, and conservation.
This also means that there is a reciprocity agreement between other AZA memberships, so we bring our Museum of Life and Science membership card and receive 50 percent off our tickets!
If you’re a member of Greensboro Science Center or another AZA-affiliated institution taken advantage of reciprocity, we’d love to know how it worked for you. Let us know in the comments!
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Things to Do
Here are 10 things to do at Greensboro Science Center.
Accessibility and Sensory-Friendly Options
Greensboro Science Center has worked hard to foster an accessible environment for everyone. They provide accessible parking, wheelchairs for use, and have equipped each restroom with a wheelchair-accessible stall.
ADA service animals or “those in a recognized training program” are also welcome here. And for visitors on the autism spectrum or with developmental disabilities, sensory backpacks are available.
Throughout the year, a series of “Sensory-Friendly Night” is held at the GSC. You can learn more about this at the Greensboro Science Center
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Special Events
Yearly events help raise money for the Conservation Fund, including the Pajama Jam, Brews & Bubbles, and the Tuxedo Trot. In addition to these events, daily visitors to the Greensboro Science Center can vote to allocate funds towards specific programs.
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Swim Around the Wiseman Aquarium
More than two million guests have visited the Wiseman Aquarium since it opened in 2013, and you’ll easily see why when walking through. With please-touch sections, jellyfish, sharks, and countless tanks, you can easily spend hours watching the sea life as they go about their daily lives.
Stand in front of the Shark Reef, a 90,000-gallon Caribbean habitat containing carnivorous and herbivorous fish. While the sharks are a must-see, rays, moray eels, and a 14-foot anaconda are just a few of the aquarium residents to meet.
Stop by at 11:00 am and you’ll see a diver in the tank answering questions about life under the sea.
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Inside Tracks
Do you have a sea lover in the family? Get an inside scoop of the world-class aquarium in the Inside Tracks: Aquarium Adventure program.
This is where you can go behind the scenes and see how food is prepared, watch the animals in their holding spaces, and feed fish from the top of the tank!
Note: Additional tickets are required and the minimum age is eight years old. There are more Inside Tracks programs available, along with more behind-the-scenes adventures.
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Slip and Slide with African Penguins
One of our daughter’s favorite things to do at the Greensboro Science Center is to stop by to say “hello!” to the penguins. You can even get up close and personal with the penguins during a 45-minute program, learning about their feeding habits, care, and management.
Guests to this special ticketed program will also get to interact up close with two of the penguins from the colony.
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Hang with the Gibbons and Friends at the Zoo
Watch the wolf pack, the meerkats dart from corner to corner, or say “Hello!” to the two resident red pandas! For us, it’s the most fun to watch the gibbons swing around and pull off some pretty impeccable gymnastic feats.
The outdoor zoo has more than your typical lions, and tigers, and bears. Although they recently added tigers, you won’t find the other two at the Greensboro Science Center!
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Get Down On the Farm
Also outside, you can enjoy some hands-on fun on the farm at Jeansboro Junction! Watch the chickens in the coop, hang jeans on the clothesline, and even weigh out a bushel of produce.
Stop by on a Tuesday or Thursday from May to October for Conservation Creations, a special museum program with monthly themes.
If you’d like to get some face-to-face goat action, you definitely need to stop outside at the corral! These sweet babies are accustomed to children and staff are also available to help you get started.
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Climb Like the Animals at Skywild
Skywild is a treetop adventure course that towers above the Animal Discovery Zoo. Meant for the brave and adventurous, this course is inspired by animal movements and behaviors.
Its 60 challenges will take you up to 45 feet off the ground. They include zipping, balancing, and climbing through the trees!
Note: The minimum age to participate is 8 years old and additional tickets should be purchased.
Dinosaurs and Dragons
Inside the Prehistoric Passages: Realm of Dragons exhibit, you can go on a digital fossil dig, check out the virtual petting zoo, and explore prehistoric theories.
It’s perfect for budding paleontologists and features state-of-the-art technology, artifacts, and even live komodo dragons!
Also, the 36-foot Tyrannosaurus Rex makes for the perfect selfie backdrop.
Help Conservation Efforts
As members of the AZA, the Greensboro Science Center is committed to conservation through building habitats for wildlife, on-site program, and fundraising for both local and global organizations.
Twenty-five cents of each ticket goes towards conservation efforts and visitors are given a token to vote on which effort they would like their money to support.
Conservation also takes center stage by the habitats formed in the center for species that are in need. Also, GSC partners with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch to help raise awareness to make more ocean-friendly seafood choices.
The exhibits around the museum reflect this partnership and there are Seafood Watch guides available to take home.
Ready to Enjoy Greensboro Science Center?
The Greensboro Science Center is a perfect way to spend a day together as a family learning about our planet and the wonderful life that inhabits it.
Children of all ages and even adults can enjoy tons of activities and exhibits that are both entertaining and educational. And if you want a couple of final tips, we suggest you arrive early to beat the crowds and take your time in each section.
Have you visited the Greensboro Science Center? If so, what do you love about this place? If not, what’s holding you back? Let us know in the comments section!
