Scitech Hands On Museum

What I liked straight from the get-​go at the SciTech Museum was the price. Admission is only $ 8 for anyone over 4. That’s a bargain for a museum in Illinois! Kids three and under are free.
The museum itself is a lot larger than I thought it was too. Two floors on the main levels, and then a smaller exhibit area in the basement. I thought it was going to be a small, local museum, but for the $ 8 you pay in admission, you get a lot of space to explore.
One of the exhibits we spent the most time at was the KidSpace area. Kids can explore their inner engineer and use their imaginations to build with huge foam blocks.
Another one of our favorite exhibits was the bubble play area. What kid doesn’t like to surround themselves in a big ol’ bubble?
The museum was in need of some updating though. Some of the exhibits were a bit old. It would be nice to get some newer exhibits.

Took the kids here on a whim. Didn’t know much about it but it was fun. Occupied the kids for a good number of hours. It’s not huge but it has a nice amount of stuff to do. The day we went, it wasn’t very busy, which was great. I think the fun factor would seriously go down if there were too many kids– as I said, it’s not s huge place. But we had a good time. I’d probably wait a good amount of time before going again. That way the kids would be happy to see the exhibits again.

I went to the museum this week with my two boys, age 3 and 8. The museum was very much in need of some updates! I’d estimate about 40% of the exhibits did not work or were missing pieces. We were done in about an hour, they were not very excited by anything they saw here.

So much fun! SciTech has undergone so many changes over the last couple of years, and it’s seen a real improvement. The kids love it, and I love seeing them enjoy a museum that wowed me as a kid! Try the tornado simulator!

I came here as a chaperone on a school field trip. This is a building in the heart of Aurora that used to be the old post office, right down to the stonework on the walls stating that. Once inside, it has the charm and prestige of an old institution with the ceilings, walls and floor still like what you’d expect from a fancy post office or bank. But the similarities end there. It’s a fun place now.
The people at the front desk greeted the group and we got to see some cool science experiments in one of the back rooms. While the corridors of this place still have the sterile old building feel, the people doing the experiments and talking tot he kids were very entertaining and friendly, giving color to their surroundings with their charming presentation. The kids even got to participate in some of the experiments.
Once back on the main floor, there’s plenty to see and do. The kids were encouraged to touch things and try things. Whethere it’s a stationary bike that powers light bulbs on a wall or a baseball pitching speed radar display, the 3^rd graders had a great time. There’s even a Comcast-​sponsored exhibit with a TV broadcast simulation, which I noticed became a popular attraction for everyone trying to do sports, dancing, and even weather on the screen.
There’s a tornado simulator with a real Storm Chasers vehicle on display as you come in. My aspiring weather man got to pose next to the vehicle. The exhibits on the upper floor are not quite as interesting and sophisticated as the ones on the first floor but there is plenty to see and learn up there as well.
I think this place is really geared towards grade school aged kids rather than the 5 and under, who will probably not be able to get the most out of the exhibits and understand all the things they see. And it is fun for grownups too, as I will attest, though it seems I can’t pitch faster than 35 mph, so my big league days are behind me…

Sci-​tech is great place to play and learn no matter how old your kids are.

I took my 10 yr old & a 14 yr old the other day and they had a great time. Many very informative exhibits and everything is hands-​on. Some of the exhibits definitley showed their age but you need to keep in mind whenever you have a completely hands-​on museum, that kids are constantly touching… they will show wear. Cute café & snack area too. It was a fun & inexpensive way to spend 2 hours.

How crazy would a 23 year-​old girl look playing with the tornado simulator by herself? Really cray cray. That’s why I like to take my nephews here as an excuse to play with all the cool gadgets and gizmos myself. They like it here too so that’s a huge bonus for me. It’s only $ 8 to get in so its not too expensive. You can park in the garage on Benton a block down for free if you don’t want to do the metered parking lot. They have a ton of hands-​on activities and experiments to do. I think I have more fun than the kids do. What can I say, I’m a child at heart. I wish the hours were a little longer, they’re only open from 10am-​5pm and noon-​5pm on Sundays. Other than that this place is awesome, the staff is nice to and they don’t yell at me when I move kids out of my way so I can play with the cool electricity exhibit. Don’t judge me, you’d do it too.

Alot of hand me down, discounted, and discontinued exhibits. The appearance is very old and worn. Several things in the basement weren’t working or plugged in. The «Six and Under» exhibit was also not very exhilarating. Oh, and their «Terrarium» exhibit is only a fish tank with plants and a fluorescent lamp.
I can see why this place is not very busy even when school is out, everyone is probably at The Children’s Museum in Naperville.
The man at the front counter was rude. He told us we couldn’t use our ASTC membership for free entry (even though our home museum is 1,000 miles away) and was going to give us reduced admission. Because we almost turned around, he decided he to «do us a favor» and grant the one-​time free admission.
After seeing how this museum is (and how it’s operated) I wouldn’t even pay reduced fee. I’m sorry, but this museum just isn’t worth it.
I wonder if it’s because of the lack of imagination, or the highly guarded counter that causes this establishment to suffer monetarily?
Oh, I want to give it one star, but right now, I feel like being nice.

Worth the drive from the city. The staff is very friendly-​and teachers are FREE! My kids had a great time. They learned a lot and were there about three hours. It was not crowded.

My kids’ favorite spot. As the title suggests, plenty of hands-​on activities for children of all ages, even a tots’ section. My daughter begs me to take her there. We like the down-​to-​earth people, and the historic building makes the experience all the more authentic. Park in the nearby garage for free when the museum stamps your ticket.