Reviews of Eugene Science Center (Museum)

Taran Wood

It is small and barebones in functionality. A fifteenth of the machienes don't work and although it is nice for children under 8, I do not recommend it for all other ages.

Angela Lewis

The staff was quite rude and pretentious. The entire place was run down, dirty and smelly. My three young children were ready to leave after ten minutes. Not a great experience and we will probably not be back.

Aujalee Fisher

Rudest staff ever!!! If the facility was awesome (ie: no extra fees for planetarium) then maybe it would get a few stars but bad experiences with the staff made it an AWFUL experience.

Julie C

I love taking my kids to the Eugene Science Center! I've been so impressed with the changes over the last couple of years. And the new planetarium upgrade is a major game changer! My youngest loves exploring the tot spot and it's baby-friendly activities. And my oldest never wants to leave! We have a membership and we love the bonus reciprocal membership program, which gets us in to lots of other area museums (Gilbert House, OMSI, etc.). I really look forward to seeing the continued evolution of ESC and I'll continue bringing my kiddos here for a long time to come.

Kristin Hustwaite

Big disappointment, it was very dirty and the staff seemed more interested in their phones then there job. Won’t be coming back.

JJ

We enjoyed the friendly staff and the kids loved the take flight exhibits and the star show! Plenty to keep them entertained and engaged.

Dustin Erdman

You would think that being located in a university town, the science center would be exceptional. This location could not even be described as ‘adequate’. A personal support worker, I took a teenage client here in hopes of an engaging, educational experience. Parking here is some distance from the actual science center and we were confused if we were even in the right location. Once we finally made our way to the building, I should have been alerted to possible trouble by the rundown exterior and poor maintenance of the grounds. Old, peeling picnic tables and litter were the first impression made. We purchased entrance to the center as well as a planetarium show. I believe my adult price for both was $11. Stepping from the cashier into the center, I was immediately disappointed. The entire place can be taken in in one glance. The stations are old, many in need of repair, and all seriously lacking in appeal. In fact, most of the exhibits are geared towards very young children - under 8, I’d say. In this technology-driven society, this science center seems like an absolute dinosaur. We were finished with the main center in less than 20 minutes and had to amuse ourselves in the gift shop until the planetarium show. The planetarium seating was comfortable, the sound was good, but the graphics were dated. We didn’t see a astrological show, but rather a show on sounds in nature. It was meant to be interactive, but, much like the rest of the center, was geared towards a very young audience. A teenager or adult feels grossly out of place. The staff were all friendly, but this science center is in desperate need of funding and updating. It’s painfully obvious where Eugene’s interests lie - with Autzen stadium mere footsteps away in its multi-million dollar splendor.

A.L. Young

This place was really fun!! My 9 year old grandaughter and I both had a wonderful time. They have all kinds of great fun activities to do. The staff was super nice and friendly. The prices are so inexpensive!! We love that part!! We got a schedule and circled all the activities we plan on doing!! Great fun. Keep an eye out for all the activities!! We love this place!!

Joshua Routh

Kinda small but the kids enjoyed it and it was inexpensive.

abbie stillie

My kids love the Science Center. It seems like each time we go there are new exhibits and activities to check out, and the planetarium show is super fun! The Science Center has undergone a lot of improvements in the last couple years, so if you haven't visited for awhile you should check it out again. My kids have gone to summer camps and no-school day camps there and really enjoyed it. The Parents' Night Outs cost less than a babysitter and my kids always have a great time! With a Science Center membership, you can get into OMSI, Evergreen Aviation Museum, and tons of other museums for free or reduced price. Buying that membership has saved me a ton of money. The Science Center staff is always super friendly and helpful. They are patient with my children and take time to show them interesting aspects of the exhibits.

Shannon Cheney

Love this place! I've been here with a 2, 7, 17, 37, and 73 year olds and they all had a good time! It's in doors so great during too cold, wet, or hot days. It is easy to spend hours here, making it well worth the small entry cost. Rotates exhibits and has a nice balance between new and old favorites!

Melissa Rancour

Cute place for younger kids to explore. Our kids were almost too old for it but we still had fun. The planetarium show was fun and educational.

Jonathan Newman

It's no OMSI, but it's a cool thing to do if you find yourself in Eugene with the kids.

Jack West

Friendly Staff, and that is about it. Its a small planetarium, its very run down and they get very little to no local support unfortunately. I came to this place once around 30ish years ago as a kid for a school trip and it was great.(when it was at its mid to prime years.) As an adult taking other kids(not mine) to see this place...its sad to see how little love it gets. the seating is sticky sometimes, there is a smell to the place....really it needs to be torn down and redone on a grand scale...but this is a football and track town...science doesn't seem to matter to the locals much unfortunately. would not take kids to this place even though it can still be fun and inexpensive price for admission. There are better ones available further away outside of Eugene.

Luke H

Quite boring even for our small children. It is less of a science museum, and more of a place to bring your kids to learn how to count currency. The exhibits felt like they were cheap and have been the same ones they had for years. The inside was very dirty and one display had something for the kids to smell as a clue, and it smelled rotten. Definitely don't bother traveling to Eugene to visit this location, however if you live nearby it might be fun for your kids if they are bored with everything else Eugene has to offer.

Paul Porter

The kids enjoyed it, but was rather expensive ($41) for my family, being that half the exhibits were either out of order or broken. You can tell it's an aging place.needs makeover.

August Reed

Nice place for older kids. It's smaller than I expected. You can bring strollers but it's difficult to navigate them around.

Rick Nelson

Completely remodeled lots of rotating exhibits good selection of videos and films in the planetarium

Chris D

Not sure whats supposed to be going on here. A LOT of currency displays. Everything was run down and dirty. I didn't see much science going on at all. They have a 'Tots' corner for 5 yrs and younger with a small junky ball 'pit', some blocks, a small train set and a few other things. Absolutely No science going on there. They tried with one display, but failed miserably. As you walk up to the door, you already have a feeling its not going to be special. The outside of the building needs work, including paint.

Brittney Waldrop

Not impressed with this place at all, although not expensive, it's BORING. Not much for the kid's to do, except read about stuff, very few hands on activities. They need more building/creating stuff for the older kids!

David Anderson

Always fun, the kids love it.

Goddess Frost

We ❤ this place

David Errington

As a Eugene local with a 2.5 y/o: He loves it and asks to go often. The display rotation could be faster (as they usually are set up for 3-4 months, sometimes more for each display). They have a few permanent displays that are mildly entertaining, and a tots play area that is fun for the littles. The best reason to have a membership (besides the discounts for other venues) is the "tots day" (first friday of each month), where they have special hands on crafts/tasks for kids and a short planetarium show aimed at kids 5-ish and under. This is a community resource and maybe not a "travel destination". Could it be improved? Sure... but everything can. Mostly volunteer run and plenty of fun for my son...

Carolina Gonzalez

Planetarium seats a little to old

Julie Sage-Lauck

We were disappointed by the staff and their treatment of families trying to visit the Science Factory. We definitely recommend the Adventure Children's museum and other amazing kids activities around town instead.

Smiledoc

We have loved the science center as a place to broaden our children's minds for over a decade, both by attending events or summer camps. Such a great place to have in Eugene even for just a daily visit or the planetarium. thank you

Joshua Mills

I will never visit this facility again. It was quite dirty and smelly. Take your kids elsewhere. The staff present were also not helpful or friendly.