Imagination Station
Imagination Station
4
Speciality MuseumsNatural History MuseumsScience MuseumsHistory Museums
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
The whole family can spend time together exploring 3 floors of exhibits in this interactive museum. Closely observe native and exotic creatures in the Honey Bee Observation Hive and the Herpetarium. Test your body knowledge in Body-ology by climbing boulders and racing the wild. Discover new places with Science on a Sphere®, a giant globe that takes you all around the world and into Outer Space. Uncover secrets of local history – the people and events that shaped the way we live today. New experiences are waiting in our ever-changing gallery spaces where families can question and discover how the world works.
Duration: 1-2 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.
4.0
33 reviews
Excellent
10
Very good
13
Average
6
Poor
1
Terrible
3
DadFlyDoc
North Carolina51 contributions
Mar 2023 • Family
Every time we come here there is less to see. Now the live mammals are gone. Cutting staff? Can’t be. They are all just sitting hear. Merchandise still anemic. Used to be interesting. Activity room with climbing towers but no attendant. Must have surplus funds and do not need mine
Written March 25, 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.
Sharon K
Knightdale, NC68 contributions
Jun 2016 • Family
We actually took the Amtrak from Raleigh to Wilson. Walked the 2 short blocks to the museum. There are many kid friendly activities to do on the first floor. Everyone loves to race the animals. There was a man in charge that took several of the reptiles out for the children to touch and look at closely. He was great w/ the kids. There is a playroom for 5 and under, where they can get out some of the energy. Then we walked back to the train station and went back to Raleigh. Fun was had on the train and at the museum.
Written June 15, 2016
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.
larafam2009
Wilson, NC18 contributions
Aug 2015 • Business
Love this place, I would take my kids every weekend in the summer if it wasn't so expensive. Oh well, at least Marbles in Raleigh is only $5 or the Museum of Science which is completely free.
Written May 18, 2016
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.
cheryl h
Durham, NC57,971 contributions
Sep 2015 • Couples
The Imagination Station is in the former Wilson Federal Building built in 1928. You can also go into the original courtroom (you will love the original doors).
You get a lot of fun for $5. We were there right when they opened so we could enjoy all the hands-on things (the first floor) without having to fight the kids for them. I finally had to drag my husband away from the invisible piano (I don't know how the people working there can listen to that all day). He also had to see if he could outrun every critter they had at the Race the Wild display.
On the second floor you will find the snakes, lizards, turtles, etc. Many of the displays were empty when we were there and the glass enclosures of the others could have been cleaner. There were too many fingerprints on the outside glass and the inside glass was dirty with critter funk.
The third floor had the Museum of the Coastal Plains and a very nice George Washington Carver exhibit. Be sure to check their website for special events.
You get a lot of fun for $5. We were there right when they opened so we could enjoy all the hands-on things (the first floor) without having to fight the kids for them. I finally had to drag my husband away from the invisible piano (I don't know how the people working there can listen to that all day). He also had to see if he could outrun every critter they had at the Race the Wild display.
On the second floor you will find the snakes, lizards, turtles, etc. Many of the displays were empty when we were there and the glass enclosures of the others could have been cleaner. There were too many fingerprints on the outside glass and the inside glass was dirty with critter funk.
The third floor had the Museum of the Coastal Plains and a very nice George Washington Carver exhibit. Be sure to check their website for special events.
Written October 23, 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.
Nissa P
Midlothian, VA10 contributions
Sep 2015
For the money- OK, We found out the museum is in transition from a large fire and still isn't really on its feet. Layout.....1 floor for kids, 1 for reptiles, 1 for adults. I certainly thought the price was reasonable for the entertainment our little one got. Race the animal was a great feature (people would pay $3 just for that). It was a great break from a long round trip. Historical courtroom inside and unusual history stories of the area on the wall, like child labor and cotton mill towns, taught some lesser known historical background of the area. However, it needs lots of money and attention which the troubled town of Wilson doesn't look like it can spare.
Written September 15, 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.
oumom53
146 contributions
Apr 2019 • Family
We took our 6 yr. old grandson here and spent a couple hours. He didn't spend a lot of time on the 3rd floor where a new exhibit is being put together. It included lots of old tools which was of great interest to my husband, but not quite as much for the child. The second floor kept his attention much longer since there was a variety of live animals. He especially liked the bearded dragon and Jimmy, the 14 ft. long Burmese Python. He also enjoyed searching the enclosures to find the animals that were hiding or not as obvious due to their coloration. But he spent the most time on the first floor where there were a variety of exercise machines, a small climbing wall and a runway where he could test his running speed compared to various animals. Grandma got tired just watching him! We also got to see bees on a display where the could fly out a tube to outside and return to the honeycomb. An attendant helped us find the queen and told us there were over 7000 bees.
Written April 17, 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.
Thank you for sharing your experience! I also have fun trying to find the animals when they're hiding out in their habitats. We are always working to find new ways of entertaining families. I hope you'll visit again soon to see what new wonders we have in store!
Written April 18, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
spurgeony
Hernando, FL338 contributions
Jul 2017
Imagination Station has many interesting exhibits. The Science on a Sphere is amazing. There are programs that can show the solar system, weather, and many other interesting phenomenon. The reptiles are very interesting and you can see them up close. The active Bee Hive is an excellent exhibit.
Written June 5, 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.
62barb53
Greenville, NC459 contributions
Dec 2017 • Family
We visit this museum 2-3 times a year. Our grandkids enjoy the hands on activities. They never get tired of the race the animals game to see who's faster! At first glance, adults may think this museum is small, but if you look through a child's eyes, you will see that kids can spend hours, playing on the activities. The historical displays are interesting. Our granddaughter enjoyed the weaving display this time, with the highlight being actually working on the loom!
Written January 10, 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.
Karen N
WIlson NC407 contributions
Jul 2017 • Family
Lots of science and fun rolled into one. Imagination station is a great place to take the littles to enjoy several hours of fun. A favorite for a rainy day. Hands on science, snakes, lots of play areas.....we've even had a birthday party there. It's a gem.
Written October 3, 2017
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.
Jean S
Wilson, NC26 contributions
Jun 2017 • Family
Took my grandchildren (not the first time) but the best time! We spent 2.5 hours and the children 6 and 3 had a great time. The new improved rocking climbing and boulder experience was certainly good for our 6 year old. The movement machines were loved by both. Upstairs the snakes and reptiles were interesting enough for the experience. They changed the infant room into a "ninja warrior room" with the foam cushions etc since there were no toddlers there at the time. Such an improvement over the past 40 years we have lived here!
Written August 8, 2017
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.
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