Children's Museum of Alamance County

What it is:  We are lucky enough to have several great children's museum in the area.  However, it is always great to find another one.  Just last week, we traveled about 45 minutes west to visit the newly opened Children's Museum of Alamance County and were thrilled to have it join the collection of great area museums.

As I said, it took us about 45 minutes to get there, but we are on the far side of Durham from Graham, where the museum is located.  It is just off of I-40, so it was a very easy drive.  We arrived, parked, and headed inside.  Admission was $5 a person over 12 months.  After we were admitted, the kids had the run of the place.  It was great because it was big enough that the kids had plenty to explore but small enough that the kids could roam the whole thing and you didn't have to worry about them disappearing.

There was plenty to explore.  There was a room with big blue building blocks like the ones at life and science, a "hospital", a theater with costumes, a train table, a toddler room, a diner with tables and a kitchen, and a great outdoor area with fishing, climbing structures, and a huge sandbox.  There were two features that we thought were particularly unique and fun.  First, when we walked in we saw this great artistic structure that went all the way up to the ceiling.  Turns out, the kids could climb up through the inside of the structure, they loved it!  Next, there was a glass aquarium like structure in the center of the museum where kids could go in, put on smocks, and paint the clear walls.  This gave a great effect both inside and out.

What we liked:  We loved the climbing structure and painting room.  We also loved the size of the museum.  It was perfect for just letting the kids explore at their own pace.  It was a manageable size, but there was still enough to keep their interest.

What we would change:  It is a bit of a drive, but it is definitely worth a trip out.  If you make the drive, you can even stop by the Tanger Outlet Mall just a couple miles away on the way back.  Some of the group of us stopped by the Carter's store on the way back and took advantage of a great sale.

Website and other important information:

Website: http://site.childrensmuseumofalamance.org/

Address: 217 South Main Street, Graham, NC 27253

Hours: Tuesday-Saturday: 10am-5pm, Sunday 1-5pm

Admission: $5 for all people 12 mo. and older (They do have a reciprocal deal for those with Marbles and Kidzu memberships where you can get half off your admission.)

Photos: 

 (the first room with the blocks)

(a car to play in)

(A view down the length of the museum with the climbing structure and painting room in the front)

(the toddler play area)

(their outdoor space)