This is such a fun place to take your kids. The classes are so much fun and the teachers are warm and sweet to the kids. Each week the kids get exciting opportunities to learn and explore. There's a good balance of things we do in class that I am able to recreate at home and things that are really special and "only at the museum" kind of activities.

We stopped in here to take pictures in the atrium. It was absolutely gorgeous! There was also a really neat jazz club that served food with a live singer and band. It was relaxing and fun and an wonderful spot to take pictures. The kids will enjoy the pool area and the indoor boat ride, but be warned that stroller navigation is tricky. Our baby-backpack was easier when we went exploring.

We hit this mall on the way home from a trip. It was an excellent place to stretch our legs and get something to eat after being in the car for such a long time. We did some serious shopping and went home with lots of new clothes and shoes! Next time we travel through this area will we definitely stop again! It was a good distraction for the younger ones too. Eating at the Rainforest Cafe was a great idea because there was so much to look at. Waiting for food was easier with all those distractions. We were hoping for a play area, but Rainforest and a Carousel ride were enough of a stopover.

The center has events with guest storytellers year round, but the big event is the weekend of storytelling in October. I have loved everything I have seen at the center and have thoroughly enjoyed the couple of years I got a pass to the October weekend events. I also have to mention the so cute downtown area. There are specially marked kids and parents story times to check out as well as carriage rides and a really cool candy/toy shop.

Bays Mountain is a great outing for families! We recently saw a Shakespeare play at the amphitheater at Bays Mountain Park. It was the perfect setting for the show. We wished we had brought cushions or camping chairs though. We really enjoyed being in the woods with the sun setting as we watched. The kids preferred the barge ride, the planetarium show, and visiting animal habitats. There are wolves and deer (and others) outside and a reptile lodge that gave me the willies, but of course the boys loved it.