The Museum of Arts & Sciences, a Smithsonian Institute Affiliate, houses American art, Chinese art, Cuban art, African artifacts and European exhibits. Among the Americana in the Root Family Museum, visitors will see vintage train cars in a train station, as well as every imaginable item relating to Coca-Cola® through the decades. There's a children's museum with a hands-on science center, plus a planetarium that offers laser light, star shows and rock concerts. The museum, preserve and boardwalk are accessible by wheelchair. Braille signs and audio stations make the preserve accessible to the visually impaired.
Best and Worst Times to go to the Museum of Arts & Sciences
Admission is free to Volusia County residents on the first Tuesday of each month, making it one of the busier days. Exhibits are well maintained, so if your visit is based on a particular selection, you may want to call first to be sure it will be available.
Must See/Do at the Museum of Arts & Sciences
Even the anti-cultural entertainment traveler in your party will enjoy the Root Family Museum with its vast display of Americana and the fully restored 1948 Milwaukee Road Skytop Lounge car. The Planetarium shows provide a nice break. Relax in reclined chairs as you view the night sky. Children enjoy it too. The Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art offers a rich taste of Florida History, dating back to the 1800's. The Florida weather exhibits are especially interesting.
Admission to the Museum of Arts & Sciences
Admission prices for adults is $13-$16; children (6-17) $7-$10. Children age five and under get in free. Student discounts are available. Some Planetarium shows and admission to Cici Hyatt Brown Museum of art cost extra.
Parking at Museum of Arts & Sciences
Parking is free. However, if you don't plan to tour the entire museum and you do care where you begin, pay attention to the parking lot you choose, or you may have a long walk. Follow the signs.
Food at the Museum of Arts & Sciences
There is no café. Coffee, cold drinks and prepackaged snacks are available for purchase in the gift shop.
Insider Tip for Visitors to the Museum
Free wi-fi is available in the gift shop. The museum is situated on 90-acre Tuscawilla Preserve. If the more active members of your group groan at the idea of a museum visit, Tuscawilla Park, next door (north) offers a large disc golf course, nature trails and zip lines.
Author's bio: Edie Schmidt is an internationally published freelance writer in Central Florida. The Root Family Museum is her favorite part of the Museum of Arts & Sciences. See her other interests here.
The Seattle Aquarium is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. This iconic waterfront landmark is a must-see, particularly for families with children, although it's a great place to visit for anyone who wants to get a fascinating look at the area's spectacular underwater world. With its wide array of colorful marine creatures in award-winning exhibits and touch pools, guests of all ages and tastes are sure to find something to enjoy. One of the best ways to enhance your visit is to check out the host of sea life that can be found in the Pacific Northwest at the aquarium, and then head out on an adventure to see what you can find in the Puget Sound waters or in the tide pools along the state's breathtaking, rugged coastline.
Parking and public transportation
The aquarium is easy to get to by car or public transportation, located on Pier 50 on the downtown central waterfront. Inexpensive metered parking is available right across the street below the Alaskan Way viaduct. Metro Transit offers many bus routes that will bring you within a short walk of the aquarium, including Route 99, which stops directly in front of the building.
Best and worst time to go to the Seattle Aquarium
The Seattle Aquarium is open every day of the year except Christmas Day at 9:30 a.m., with the last entry accepted at 5 p.m. and exhibits closing up at 6 p.m. The best time to get here is just after 2 p.m., when the crowds typically begin to thin out whether it's on the weekend or a weekday. Most visitors tend to arrive shortly after the aquarium opens, making it more difficult to get good views of the exhibits without having to bump elbows with others, particularly during the months of June, July and August.
Admission to the Seattle Aquarium
Admission to the aquarium ranges from about $15 to $22 depending on age with children three years old and under admitted free. Discounts are available for seniors, persons with disabilities and active military.
Must-Dos at Seattle Aquarium
Touching some of the fascinating creatures that live in the tide pools on the state's outer coast and the inland sea of the Puget Sound is a must. Visitors can feel the prickly spines of a sea urchin and discover the rough texture of a colorful starfish. The Underwater Dome provides the opportunity to be surrounded by fish and other creatures by heading down a short tunnel and stepping into a 360-degree tank filled with a variety of species, including sharks, sturgeon, vibrantly-colored rockfish, lingcod and more. The aquarium is also home to marine mammals, like playful sea otters and harbor seals that provide practically endless entertainment with their antics.
Other places to visit near Seattle Aquarium
With some of the city's best restaurants located just steps away from the aquarium, you might want to plan lunch or dinner around your visit to the aquarium. If you like fresh oysters, Elliott's Oyster House offers some of the freshest oysters around, while Ivar's Pier 54 Fish Bar serves up Seattle's famous bread bowl clam chowder as well as amazing fish 'n' chips. Argosy Cruises is located right next door to the aquarium, offering a variety of tours, including a narrated one-hour sightseeing tour that allows visitors to view many of Seattle's iconic landmarks like the Space Needle and Mt. Rainier from the glistening waters of Elliott Bay.
Insider tips for visitors to Seattle Aquarium
There are several indoor/outdoor open air areas of the aquarium that allow visitors to watch the seals and sea otters swim in the waters of the Puget Sound. If you're here on a nice day, walk out onto the dock and enjoy the fresh air, spectacular views and see these entertaining creatures in a less crowded environment.
Author's bio: K.C. Dermody is a travel writer living in the Seattle area with hundreds of travel articles both online and in print. She has traveled the world and is the author of 'Best Travel Guide for First Time Visitors to Ireland,' but especially loves showing off the beautiful region she resides in.
A drive inland from Stamford brings you to private park with history. The Bartlett Arboretum offers great diversity of flora and fauna and even a spooky cemetery. There are organized events that take advantage of arts and crafts, plant sales, guided tours of the trails, fall foliage walks and children's events; this is a great place to get away. Private group tours also available. Dog-walking is allowed, but dogs must be leashed at all times and owner must pick up after the dog.