Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh, NC
A Fun Children’s Attraction for Ages Birth to Twelve
Playspace and Exploris have combined to form a hands-on, interactive museum for children and their families in downtown Raleigh, NC.
With the opening of Marbles Kids Museum, children living in or visiting the Raleigh, NC area have a fun new place to learn, play and explore with their families. The museum is geared toward families with children ages birth to twelve and features four indoor galleries, two outdoor escapes and an IMAX theater. Marbles Kids Museum strives to, “inspire children to learn by doing” according to President and CEO, Sally Edwards. Visitors entering the visually engaging, hands-on museum can see it lives up to its mission.
Around Town Gallery
Don’t know what you want to be when you grow up? You’ve come to the right place. Kids can try out many roles in this twelve exhibit, interactive gallery where you can be everything from a farmer feeding and caring for animals in their stalls to a Broadway performer putting on shows with costumes and props for an audience. Other exhibits include an ambulance, a fishing boat, a delivery truck, a grocery store, a restaurant, a train, a tree house, a reading area and an underwater crawling area for babies under one.
Splash Gallery
Water and other liquids are the main attraction in this fun-filled exhibit. There are two large water towers where water flows freely to tables filled with toys. There is a Liquid Art Lab where children can create and explore with paint and other liquid supplies. Under the Waves is a dark cove with stars projected onto the ceiling and walls and a floor filled with soft toys such as, fish pillow that encourage kids to pretend and explore. A huge wooden pirate ship with all the accoutrements is the fourth exhibit in this gallery where you can find pirates of all ages engaged in swash-buckling fun. This gallery is not only a kid favorite, but a parent one also. “Loving the water!” is how Shandi Creek of Raleigh, NC puts it.
2 B Me Gallery
True multi-media exploration and discovery takes place in this gallery. Kids can use digital technology to create their own web pages complete with photos or sing and play instruments in a music studio. There is also a green screen and television studio where children can broadcast from exciting locations such as, The Great Wall of China.
Build It Gallery
Children are invited to put their creative and kinesthetic skills to work as they build new creations using a variety of materials. Dragons made out of tin cans and large Lego displays inspire kids to dream big and create anything they imagine.
Horizon Gallery
Rotating exhibits are located in the Horizon Gallery. All exhibits are chosen with the museum’s mission of inspiring children to be creative thinkers, active learners and confident individuals in today’s world. Anne Hope, age seven, of Raleigh, NC experienced this in the inaugural exhibit, Children of the World. Anne and her five year old sister, Laura, were able to view life-size photos of children their age from countries all around the world and see what kind of food they eat, what their homes look like and what they did for fun. Anne was especially interested in the girls from Russia after she found out they also took ballet.
Corner Store
The museum gift shop features educational souvenirs for children of all ages. You can find books, toys, games, CDs, T-shirts and more. Souvenir prices range from $1 on up.
Museum Information:
- Marbles is located at 201 East Hargett Street in downtown Raleigh, NC.
- Admission is $5 for all visitors over age one with additional fees for the IMAX theater.
- The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00am until 5:00pm and Sundays from 12:00pm until 5:00pm.
- Marbles offers full day and half day camps year round for students in preschool, elementary and middle school. Call (919) 843-3516 for details.
- Birthday party packages are available starting at $150. Visit their website for details.
