Member Appreciation Night at the Kentucky Science Center
We have been members of the Kentucky Science Center in Louisville, Kentucky for the past several years. Multiple times a year we will make the drive into Louisville for a family fun day and stop at the Science Center. The kids have their favorite areas that they like to visit as well as look around to see what new exhibits have appeared since our last visit.
One of the perks of having a family membership is the annual Members Appreciation Night that they host every December. They open the museum after hours and members can come and enjoy the museum with no crowds, and have some pizza and a popcorn bar.
When you arrive at Members Night there’s a check-in table where you get your timed dinner tickets. There are two times that dinner is served, and we opted for the later dinner slot since Rob was still on his way from work. This ended up being a great decision because the museum was completely empty for us to explore while the first group was upstairs eating.
I love that the layout of the museum is open in areas, so that I can keep an eye on my kids that want to be in different places at the same time. Hadassah wanted to play at the light table while Micah was in the next room playing with shadows.
The first floor is the best area for younger kids to explore. The main exhibit in this area is called “Science in Play.” There’s a climbing structure called the Happy Climber, a Noodle Forest where my kids love to swing like Tarzan, and an area where you can build your own roller coaster and test it out.
One of my kids’ favorite areas year after year is the water table. A few years ago they remodeled this area, and now there are new activities to play with and enjoy. I love watching their little brains trying to figure out how to manipulate the water to go where they want it to go.
Another area that they never seem to get bored with is the AirWays exhibit which is an air system with diverter valves that they can put colored handkerchiefs through. Next to AirWays is a Grow Zone for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. It’s a small gated area so moms can relax and let their young ones explore on their own. Most of the exhibits in the Science Center are hands-on and kids are encouraged to learn through touching, exploring, and experimenting.
The second and third floors have a lot of hands-on areas as well and are geared for elementary-aged children up to adults. Yes, adults can have fun too! In the World Around Us exhibit there is a weather watch area where you can pretend to be a newscaster. You will find two real, large stuffed polar bears, a Gemini space capsule, and a mummy in the Discovery Gallery.
There are many perks that come with a Kentucky Science Membership including discounted parking, a discount at the gift shop, discounts on movies, birthday parties, and camps, as well as exclusive members events and programs such as the Members Only Night. But our absolute favorite perk is the reciprocal membership that we get through the ASTC (Association of Science and Technology Centers) passport program. Through this reciprocal program we get access to over 350 science centers and museums worldwide. We love to take advantage of this and enjoy visiting museums for free while we travel. Be on the lookout for a series of posts on the ASTC travel passport program participating museums that we have visited.
For another look at our evening at the Kentucky Science Center, check out our YouTube video below.
25 Comments
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Awesome post! Keep up the great work! 🙂
Krystn M.
This place sounds awesome! I wish I lived closer!
Regina Young
such fun! what a great night!
Jen
That looks so cool! We have a museum a bit like that in Chicago, and we are thinking about getting a membership once things open again. We had a membership to the history museum, but are looking for something new.
Sara W
We have a couple of local places that we alternate having memberships with. One year we’ll do a membership at one museum and then switch to a different museum the next year.
Kinzy
What a fun, family place to explore!
Melinda Cummings
That looks like so much fun. My kids love science centres!
Casandra
What a great way to spend time with your children while learning at the same time!
Hera
So cool these passes allow entry into so many museums worldwide, 350, wow! Great way to keep the kiddos occupied through travel
Sara W
Yes, definitely! It’s saved our family so much money in the long run.
Eva Keller
Looks like a fun place! That’s great of them to do members only events like this.
Stacey Billingsley
Such a cool museum! I like that they have the special members events. My daughter is ten, and she may not admit it, but she still likes to visit these kinds of places. I’ll keep this one in mind!
Sara W
My oldest is 11 and he still loves going too. I think he’s glad to have a 4-year-old sister to play with when we go that way he can still enjoy all of the exhibits, even the ones he thinks he’s too old for.
Erin
Adventure Science Centers are always soooo fun! There is always something for every member of the family. Great post. Thank you for sharing!
Leeanne
What a fun place. My kids are all over hands-on science centers and children’s museums. We’ve had a membership for a long time. My brother gives it to us as a Christmas present and we use it at home and when we travel. Did you know you can get into other science center/children’s museums with your membership? For a reduced fee or even free? It makes a wonderful gift.
Sara W
Yes, that’s one of the main reasons we got our membership. We love taking advantage of the reciprocal benefits.
Tricia Snow
What a lovely event. I think it is really cool they have a dinner for members. It looks like an awesome place!
Chantelle
I love Hands on places like this! Fun!
Cindy
Looks like a fun museum! And what a great reciprocal program! That makes the membership so valuable.
Lisa Manderino
This looks fun! We love going to children museums and science museums. They are awesome for kids!
Brianna Creef
Member events can be so fun! VIP experiences for the win!
kmf
I love science museums…something for everyone.
Missy
You had me at no crowds, pizza and a popcorn bar. 🙂
Trisha
What a great thing for them to do for their members! This place looks like a ton of fun! We will have to stop by the next time we are in the area.
Michele
This looks like fun! We love going to science centers when we travel, but don’t have one close by. The hands on activities make it so much more interesting!