Science Playhouse at the MOST
A couple months ago I went to the MOST in Syracuse, NY for the first time to visit a friend who was moving away. It won’t be the last time I take the girls either, they just loved it. The MOST is the Museum of Science and Technology in Syracuse, NY. It is much smaller in size compared to the Rochester Science Museum but it is packed with hands on displays and great play areas. The girls absolute favorite is the Science Playhouse which is this enormous climbing structure that is about three stories tall and big enough in scale for adults to climb through too; think a McDonald play center structure on steriods. (Don’t forget your socks) This museum is definitely geared more toward the preK-grade school set of kids, although teens would probably still get a kick out of the Playhouse if they aren’t already too cool for that kind of thing. In addition to the Playhouse there are giant models of body parts, a Discovery cave which includes a dinosaur dig site, and the most amazing replicas made entirely of toothpicks.
Dinosaur Dig at the MOST
The museum is open Wednesday-Sunday from 10am-5pm with extended hours on Saturday for the IMAX theater. During some holidays and school breaks the museum may be open on Monday or Tuesdays, check their website for dates and hours. Admission for adults is $5, kids 2-11 are $4, and Seniors 65+ are $4. Members for the museum are free and they are part of the Science museum receprical program so we were able to get in free with our Rochester Science museum membership.
They do offer a variety of Omni movies on their IMAX screen which cost $9 for adults, kids and seniors are $7. Or you can do a combo of admission to the museum and a movie for $11 for adults, kids and seniors are $9. This museum has an interesting membership perk you can sign up for for only $15. It’s their IMAX Passport which allows you to watch all the regular IMAX movies as many times as you want all year long.
Toothpick Replicas
If you are planning a visit here you need to make note that there is not a cafeteria or restaurant onsite. There is a small cafe area which offers a number of vending machine but these are only stocked with drinks and snacks no actual food. There is a small microwave provided though along with plenty of tables and chairs. You are permitted re-entry if you want to leave to eat and come back as long as you keep you receipt.
Also the museum does not have it’s own parking lot so you have to either find a parking lot, which costs about $6-7 for the day, or find on street parking which is limited to 2 hrs. And meters are free on Sundays.
We loved it so much the girls begged for days afterwards to go back again. It is an easy hour and a half drive from our home in Henrietta, NY. But even though we get in free with our membership we do still have to pay gas and tolls to get there so we haven’t gone back til this last week when we took along friends. I bet they will be going back too.