We loved this place--nice, new exhibits, good balance of text to buttons and other interactive stuff--interesting ways of presenting scientific material. we spent about 4 hours there when the museum was not really crowded and had a chance to do everything.

DO NOT MISS this activity if you are touring Birmingham with young children.

The kids really enjoyed this center. However there were 2 issues that we had:
1) There isn't enough staff to ensure that children get a chance to see each display. There were kids running around unattended and wouldn't "share" the displays so we unfortunately missed out on some of them because of this.
2) It is advertised as 4 stories however only 2 stories are accessible with exhibits. The 3rd and 4th floor is only available for classrooms and events.

Other than that this was a great experience that the kids enjoyed. They were ages 3, 6, & 7.

Birmingham is centrally located for our family to meet here. This was a geat place to meet and take they grandchildren. There was something for all ages and they children loved it. The IMAX was nice, too.

Plan on paying $5 for parking, also, per vehicle.

Do skip the Movies Cafe if you can. The health rating was in the 80's and the woman at the register was rude. For those prices, you can go to a family restaurant and get much better food.

We had a great time here: IMAX theatre, interactive exhibits and a nifty marine life collection in a setting that didn't seem crowded even though the place was busy. We caught a Titanic exhibit that was exceptionally well done. Hint:order your IMAX tickets in advance. This spot draws groups and if we'd not already had tickets, it might have been tight. Also, when you buy your admission, be sure to get a parking token. Our host knew what a hassle it can be to get out of the parking garage without a token and remembered to buy one. The car leaving ahead of us wasn't prepared and seemed pretty frazzled taking care of it.