Cook Museum of Natural Science - Decatur, Alabama

Renee R.

This was a really nice little museum. Lots of hands on activities. Good way to spend about 2 hours, maybe more if you have little kids that play in the play area. The staff was some of the friendliest I have ever met.

Adrienne B. W.

I visited the Cook Museum of Natural Science with my child's class on a field trip. We were the only school group during our time there, as far as I know.
From the moment we arrived (by school bus) we were met with professionalism and courtesy. Our primary guide met the bus and took care of getting us into the building with our lunches and the students to their class science activity/lesson. Due to the classroom size parents were not able to attend.

There were eleven parents attending and we all met in the café area and several of us purchased food and/or beverages. I had a peanut butter and berry smoothie which also contained yogurt. It was really good and I would definitely have it again. I didn't buy any other food from the cafe, but there are many breakfast and lunch options that I hope to try in the future. The prices were really reasonable for a museum (about $5 for the smoothie and food varied based on meal time).

After the class lesson we toured the museum as a class. We were color coded and all members of the group wore a wrist band in the group color. Our indoor (read: air conditioned) lunch area was also designated according to the group color.

We had two guides through the museum (our original guide Kara and another lady whose name I forget) and everything is very well planned. The students are limited to one or two areas at a time (biology, wetlands, space, Earth, rocks/minerals, etc.) and Kara acted as our "stop sign" so no one got away from the group. The areas/rooms/stations are (probably) timed so that the kids have enough time to check out most everything but don't have time to get bored. They definitely kept us moving but it never felt rushed.

We ended up at our lunch area where we had lots of long, clean tables and chairs and plenty of room to spend out. I should mention that there were only about 32 total people in our group, so we didn't need a lot of space.

After lunch the students had time to look around the gift shop and make purchases. I was pleasantly surprised that pretty much everything was really reasonably priced. My child got a nice sized stuffie for $12 and everything else seemed reasonable, too.

It was a really great trip. I had a great time and the students seemed to enjoy the trip, too.

My family will definitely be going back for a day trip.

Brianna M.

We went as 2 adults and a teen. All three of us had an amazing time! I have been wanting to come here since they opened this beautiful new place. This museum was a regular visit for our family when I was a child. We always wanted to go back and we would beg my mom to take us back all the time! This museum got a major upgrade but the nostalgia was still there! It’s still the Cooks museum it used to be just way bigger and better! I can honestly say I learned A LOT of interesting facts about animals, rocks, and space. Things like how flamingos get their color or a mineral that animals use to get in their salt. I love this place and I hope it’s as special to many kids today as it was to me as a kid! The hall at the end with the history of the museum brought back amazing memories 🥰. If you’re thinking about going just do it!

Marta S.

Super interesting and clean. Perfect for toddlers! We love it so much we got a membership. There is a play area and everything kid safe and accessible. Great for play dates, never crowded!

Jenn

I attended a school field trip to the museum with my son. The staff were so sweet and friendly and very knowledgeable. We had a wonderful time and can’t wait for the bee exhibit to open. We will definitely be back!

Dad A. T.

Lots to see! Lots of exploration and fun to be had for the little ones and adults alike. The building is beautifully designed and laid out. Also, the employees seem knowledgeable and friendly. Definitely worth a visit.

Travel_with_tripp

Very nice museum. Great for kids lots to see and touch. Free parking right outside.

Karina J.

I took my 13 y/o son to Cook museum (had to practically drag him, cause museums are "boring"...). He had a blast!!! Unfortunately we're moving out of State soon. Otherwise I would have gotten the membership... We loved it!!! 😍