Recommendation for Vacation Stopover Attraction

With Summer here, I'm sure that everyone is planning or looking forward to their "family vacations." We are always looking for some new, fun and even educational places to take the kids, and we would always welcome any suggestions. I'm figuring that most of you feel the same way, so I'm going to share one of our favorite "stopover attractions" with you. When we plan a trip up to Tennessee, we always stop in Columbia, SC, to spend a couple of nights. One day is spent at our favorite museum: EdVenture Children's Museum or as the kids call it "Eddie Adventure." It is the largest children's museum in the south, and it is really incredible! Check out the site for all the details. Here are a few pictures from one of our visits just to give you an idea of what's there.

The "main" attraction is Eddie - a 2-story tall boy that you and your children can explore. You can actually hear him breathe, hear his heartbeat, hear his stomach noises, hear the nerve impulses being transmitted in his brain...etc. The back side is all open, so you can see the insides and actually climb and slide all through it to discover things. It's really cool!

As you move through the museum, you'll find an area where kids can dress up in head-to-toe firemen uniforms and explore a firetruck and even slide down a fire pole.

There's also an area that deals with farming where you can sit in a big tractor, "plant/pick" vegetables and fruit, "milk" a cow...etc. There's also a mock grocery store where the child can take their cart up and down the aisles and pick out their groceries. When they are done shopping, they can go through the check out line and pretend to pay for it all. The kids really love that! Oh, and I threw in the picture of the "marsupials" just for fun. =)

When we last visited, there was a section outside with really big bubble activities for the kids. (I think that may have been one of their traveling exhibits.) There's also a water exhibit and a net "spider web" for them to climb on.

Has anyone ever heard of or been to this museum? Just curious. We love it and are looking forward to our trip there this year! The traveling exhibit that will be there when we visit is entitled "Air Play" and will teach the kids how air moves and how it affects the environment. They will get to learn about turbulence and air streams. Sounds cool! I'll let you know if I learn anything. =)