The Putnam Museum & Science Center
The Putnam Museum & Science Center
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
About
The Putnam is a place where people connect with history and ideas by doing, making and experiencing. Our classes and special events are a great complement to our hands-on exhibit galleries. There is always something new to discover and something for everyone at the Putnam.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
232 reviews
Excellent
129
Very good
63
Average
29
Poor
8
Terrible
3
Kate P
Davenport, IA61 contributions
Nov 2020 • Family
Even with COVID-19 closing down the hands on exhibits, The Putnam is the museum of my childhood. Amazing mummies and antiquities from around the world, environmental history from the Devonian Era to today, and thoughtful collections spotlighting the people who developed this area of the Mississippi Valley. The current exhibit on the periodic table was the highlight of this trip.
Written November 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
arlette vickrey/scott vickrey
3 contributions
Mar 2021
the museum is a great size for kids and elders. there are so many things to see and do. i truly enjoyed the forensics exhibit ane fantastic classroom experience. in fact, i came back to enroll my granddaughter in the class.
Written March 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jennie360
USA25 contributions
Jan 2019 • Family
We were a group of adults and teens (family visiting from Chicago) and they were really impressed by the Putnam. We had a great time exploring the exhibits, both visual and interactive. They had a laser harp you could play by putting your fingers in the path of the lights, a pulley system to try to lift oneself into the air, a dinosaur dance floor where one could stand and be filmed while animated dinosaurs approached on the screen. (So you could make it look as if you were running from a raptor or something silly!) And then you could share the video with friends via email! Also cool were the Egyptian rooms, wildlife, and they also have rotating exhibitions. The IMAX movie oceans was a hit too! It's a large place so plan lots of time to get your money's worth!
Written January 9, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cenzt
Ohio21,401 contributions
Jul 2023
Average trip. We arrived at approximately 2 pm and made our way towards the entrance of the museum. We bought the admission ticket that included entry to their theatre to watch a movie. There were several sections of the museum that we viewed, that included informational plaques and various artifacts detailing what we were seeing in front of us. The museum at times felt very empty, and there was a lot of unused space that could have been occupied with cool exhibits. We watched a movie titled Arctic our Frozen Planet, that was excellent. The aerial shots captured in the movie, showcased the ongoing problems happening in the Arctic with global warming. There were a lot of hands on exhibits that catered towards children and adults, alike. I left the museum feeling unfulfilled and wanting to see and learn more.
Tip: I recommend spending 2 hours here if you truly want to see everything.
Tip: I recommend spending 2 hours here if you truly want to see everything.
Written August 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bob R
Apopka, FL7 contributions
Jun 2023 • Family
Many of the hands on exhibits were broken. Restrooms in poor condition. But there was lots of info on how Europe and the US engaged in slavery and discrimination and brand new displays for LGBTQ+++ and BLM. Great info for an 8 year old.
Written June 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Junker79
Tualatin, Oregon110 contributions
Jun 2013 • Couples
We went to the museum to waste an afternoon while in town visiting family. It was really hot outside so being in the air conditioned museum was nice. The parking was free and there were plenty of spaces for a Saturday afternoon. The price for the standard museum was reasonable at $7 per person but to get into the changing exhibit "Bodies Revealed" it was another $11 per person. A little overpriced so we skipped that. The standard exhibits were nice but they were all very small with just a few items in each. Some of the items in the exhibits looked old and worn out or just not very well put together to begin with. There was a section that did local history and this seemed very interesting but by the time we got to it we were getting worn out....and plan to walk a lot as the exhibits are not set up to walk through one then another but more as you walk through and exhibit to the end and then have to backtrack to go to the next exhibit.
Written June 26, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
psa954
Milan, IL154 contributions
Apr 2012 • Family
Went to the Dinosaurs Unearthed exhibit yesterday and was astonished that it cost so much and the exhibit was very minimal. The rest of the museum had not been maintained as four of the activity portions did not work.On the website it stated that they charged extra for the dinosaur exhibit but did not say it was $10.00 on top of the $7.00 so an adult cost is $17.00 and the kids were $12.50 each,I feel very expensive for the quality of the exhibit,even my 8 year old grandson who loves museums said that wasn't very much to see.We went last spring to The Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum in Springfield and it was much cheaper and much more entertaining and educational.Probably will not be going back here for there special exhibits!
Written April 10, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
treesprite07
Northern Illinois401 contributions
Sep 2018 • Family
I was astonished at how nice this museum is. The Egyptian Room, the hands on display and the local history rooms were all well done. A great place to go on a day trip. It was nice not to be in a crowded museum so that you could do all the exhibits.
Written September 11, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dispatchergurl
Davenport, IA203 contributions
Aug 2014 • Family
They try to charge extra for the cool exhibits and not include them in the regular entrance fee. It is not worth the money.
Written March 16, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
thedude101
Davenport, IA1 contribution
Jul 2011 • Couples
The bathrooms were not cleaned very well. And it was very overpriced.
Written June 14, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I have a 5 year old, 2 year old, and 1 year old... just wondering if there are enough displays to interest these young ages.
Written October 15, 2018
There are some elements that may interest a 5-year old, but nothing really for younger children. The museum is mostly about science and engineering -- how things work and why -- so very young children may be amused by whatever they see but aren't likely to understand it.
Written October 15, 2018
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