Greensboro Science Center

Greensboro Science Center is a unique and wonderful place! Kids adore coming here! There is so much to see and do. For a start there is an aquarium with many amazing tanks with tropical fish. I love how this aquarium mostly has colorful tropical fish and bright coral. There are also jellies, sea horses, shrimp, and a beautiful octopus. Bigger animals like sharks, otters, penguins, golden tamarin monkeys, and rays are also represented. You can reach in and touch the rays. The aquarium is in the dark, making it easier to see the gorgeous lit-up tanks.

A real techie must have designed this museum because there are some super cool effects of light and peppers ghost effects that I've never seen at a museum before. In one area, kids can stand on a ship and move projections of fish around on the wall by moving their hands. This is endlessly entertaining. In this area, kids can play a harp or drums in an underwater world, or go inside a submarine. 
In the next room, interesting archaeological finds are represented in cases with peppers ghost projections- very unique. The next room has giant dinosaurs and kids can stand while looking up at the wall where their image is projected among the dinosaurs- scary!! 
A weather area describes tornadoes and other freaky events. A human body area shows how much blood is in the body (only six liters!), and what clogged arteries are like (you can turn the timer over and watch the blood flow through the normal and the clogged arteries).
The most magical area is the indoor maze, where you can walk under upside down umbrellas with crystals suspended below them, and other colorful decorations. Kids always adore a hide-and-seek or peek-a-boo type of experience, even eleven year olds, and you can play this in the maze. There is a black light area like a coral reef that is gorgeous, and shapes projected on the ground. This museum really makes use of light and projections- so beautiful! In this area there is a puppet corner where you can make shadow puppets with your hands. 
There are some animals in the museum, both inside and outside in a little house and in the zoo, including iguanas, snakes, tree frogs, a komodo dragon, a porcupine, turtles, a tortoise, meerkats, a peacock, a wolf, a fox, a crocodile, gibbons, lemurs, and howler monkeys. There is also a petting zoo outside, with a donkey, alpaca, and chickens.
After visiting this museum, you definitely feel happy and inspired! And it's a great asset to have in the winter since most of it is indoors.
After, head over to downtown Greensboro for a meal, or an easier option is Friendly Center, where there are many upmarket chain restaurants. 
Greensboro also has a great children's museum, located downtown.

Directions

Greensboro Science Center is located at 4301 Lawndale Dr, Greensboro, NC 27455.
Open 9-5. Closed Thanksgiving (fourth Thurs in Nov), Dec 25, and the annual gala day in September). Closes at 2pm on Dec 24. 
Admission is $14.50 for adults, $13.50 for children aged 3-13, and free for children aged 2 and under. Reciprocal memberships from other science centers give you half off. Annual membership would definitely be worth it if you have kids and live in Greensboro.

Click on map for interactive view