Learn, Play, Grow at the Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh [A Complete Guide]

Are your kids running around with pent-up energy and need a release? Don’t lose your marbles, take them to Marbles Kids Museum downtown, a museum entirely designed for children to let off steam and learn through interactive play.

This is the only museum in Raleigh that caters to children at the forefront, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fun for adults too. Every exhibit is designed to be played with and is hands-on and enjoyable.

It also allows you as the parent to become the teacher for the day, and to use the exhibits to teach your little ones about the importance of sustainability, renewable energy, how plants grow, what lives below the ocean’s waters and so much more.

If you’re thinking about visiting the Marbles Kids Museum but are not sure what there is to see and do, where to eat nearby (because we always need to plan for snack breaks!) or know what to expect, this guide has everything you need to know.

About Marbles Kids Museum

The Marbles Kids Museum is a space for school-aged children to let their imaginations run wild, unleash their creativity, and get curious in a purposeful play-focused environment. 

It’s one of the top things to do in Raleigh with kids if you want to nurture their imagination and also do something educational and enriching. It’s especially great if you’re looking for things to do on a rainy day in Raleigh and during the winter since it’s mostly indoors, with a handful of outdoor exhibits.

It has two floors of interactive exhibits, each catering to different age groups, as well as offers spaces for birthday parties and special events, plus shows 3D movies in the giant on-site IMAX cinema. 

Nestled in the heart of downtown, on 201 E. Hargett St opposite Moore Square, Marbles Kids Museum opened in 2007, as a space to offer children a space to learn through play. It believes in using play to teach children to solve problems, create and apply ideas, innovate, communicate, and connect with others.

It’s named after a wall that wraps around the museum, which has been filled with more than one million marbles that light up at night – it’s also a nickname for brains. 

Marbles Kids Museum Membership – is it worth it?

You might be wondering if a membership to Marbles Kid’s Museum is worth it. From our experience raising young children in Raleigh, or really Wake County, a Marbles membership was one of the best investments we made for entertaining our kids. Especially since we live in an area that ranges from snow to sweltering heat with plenty of rainy days in between.

Trying to entertain energetic children in my house is not on my highlights list. I loved that we could take them to Marbles whenever we wanted as part of our membership and let the three floors of engaging activities do that hard work. They LOVED it!

There are different membership levels starting from $110 for one adult an one child to $150 for 2 adults and all the kids in your family. Considering tickets are $9 per child and adult, this can add up pretty quickly. Membership can also give you other perks like discounts, early entry, and access to members-only events.

Family Passport is AWESOME

Plus, what was GOLDEN for us as frequent travelers with our kids (we homeschooled them during their Marbles era and so traveled a lot with our travel blog business), was their Family Passport Membership.

This means Marble partners with The Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) and The Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC), which meant we could receive free or discounted admission to other participating museums around the USA!!! Exception are those within a 90 mile radius of Marbles (bummer, no free entry to Durham’s Museum of Life and Sciences!)

But, we used our Marbles membership a lot on our USA travels which saved us money AND entertained and educated our girls. That meant I had to create far fewer lesson plans!

We have been to a lot of kid’s museums around the country, so we can confidently say Marbles is one of the best kid’s museum AND at a pretty good price.

IMPORTANT: Book tickets in advance

A lot has changed since we had a Marbles Membership – our girls are now teens so no longer need it but still speak fondly of Marbles. Gone are the days when you could just rock up and buy a ticket at the welcome desk.

Due to the growth of the area and it’s popularity (some days can be packed) all members, guests, and single-visitors must book timed entry tickets in advance. Once you’re in, you can stay as long as you like, but you need to book a time.

EXCEPTION: Any put-of-towners visiting with a Family Passport from another participating USA museum, can check in at the welcome desk. They cannot book timed entry online.

Exhibits In The Marbles Kids Museum

The following exhibits in the Marbles Kids Museum have been organized by age group, so you can find an exhibit best suited for your child.

Marbles Kids Museum for Babies and Toddlers (0-3)

River Playway

Paying homage to our Neuse River, River Playway is all about immersing in the sounds and sights of the river.

The sensory-inspired exhibits allow kids to notice sounds and sights, learn how seeds grow, peek inside duck boxes, jump from lily pad to lily pad, and try to catch a fish or beaver. They can also build their own Beaver Dam using sticks and logs.

Older kids will enjoy the River Ranger Station, where they can put on ranger gear and be a park ranger for the day, or take the slide under the surface of the Neuse River to explore the wonders below the water!

Stepnotes

This is a fun, larger-than-life musical staircase where each step plays a different tune and lights up.

Sun Sprouts

Sun Sprouts is another garden exhibit where kids can play in an actual garden and get their hands dirty. It’s a messy sensory experience for toddlers, but can also be a fun exhibit for slightly older kids interested in gardening.

Check out Power Flower, a 22-foot tall solar-powered flower, and make it spin. Or take a break in the Sun Sprouts Fort.  

Toddlers Hollow

This exhibit is designed for children under 3, where they can experience the senses of the woods. 

They can practice crawling, walking and even balancing on the play elements here.

There’s a bridge, a pixie hideaway, and a dress-up corner where they can pretend to be a forest creature. 

Under The Waves

Another sensory section is Under The Waves, where sea shapes and deep sea elements offer a multi-sensory experience for babies. There are light-up bubble tubes, shadow play, compression canoes, and liquid sensory tiles.

Around Town Peek-a-boo Bay

A section of the Around Town exhibit (more on this below) is designed for toddlers aged 18 months and below called the Peek-a-boo Bay, which is a sensory nautical play area. 

Marbles Kids Museum for Kindergarten Kids (Ages 4-6)

Around Town

Around Town is an interactive play exhibit where children can role-play various jobs within a town. 

The town is divided into sectors, such as On The Farm where they can pretend to be farmers and ride on the custom combine harvester, or pretend to tend to pigs, cows, and chickens, or grow seeds.

If your child loves animals, they can head to Ready Set Vet for a play area in partnership with NC State College of Veterinary Medicine where they can present to be vets.

Or maybe they fancy being a train conductor, or lineman restoring power to the city of Raleigh after an outage, or rushing those in need to the hospital in a pretend ambulance.

Also in this zone is a theatre zone, grocery store, fire engine truck, helicopter, weather reporting station, red convertible bus, and bake shop.

If your child loves interactive play, this zone is the best!

Playway

This is the newest exhibit in the Marbles Kids Museum, having opened in November 2022. This outdoor play space has picnic tables, climbing frames, plants, and shaded areas.

This section of the museum is free to everyone and does not require entrance to the museum to visit.

Hit The Trail

Does your kid love the outdoors? The Hit The Trail exhibit is all about the outdoors and offers spaces for children to pretend to camp, kayak, and even care for woodland creatures.

Kid Grid

This exhibit is all about electricity and aims to teach children about how electricity is generated. Learn about solar, water, wind, coal, and even nuclear power at the Generation Station, and be in charge of sending power to various sources.

They can see how power switches on and off their devices from back home, and also how to conserve energy. To amp up the fun (pun intended) drive around in the electric car and go on an eco-road trip. 

Power2Play

Another area for interactive play is Power 2 Play, where kids can skate on Center Ice or dance and leap in Tumble ‘n Twirl the dance studio. Our girls have enjoyed playing “ice hockey (in socks) here before.

Unlike Around Town, this exhibit focuses more on the educational side of play, and each exhibit has an element of learning with the play.

In the Workout Zone, kids can learn about the importance of being healthy and looking after their bodies through exercise, or they can learn about healthy eating and power foods in the Healthy Kitchen.

They can also play supersized basketball on Center Court or learn to surf the waves on Balance Boards.

Seedlings

Learn how seeds grow at Seedlings, where your child can pretend to plant fruit, veg, and flowers, and care for plants in the greenhouse.

Splash

Splash is a really fun zone where kids can climb about a 3-story pirate ship, and race a boat along a 65-foot-long water table.

This water play exhibit is a one-of-a-kind way to play, with the water table offering plenty of ways to play. 

As well as making boats to float down the river, children can also cast a line to fish for magnetic fish or play with the water wheels. There are 19 special features along this water table, each designed to inspire and entertain.

For older kids, the Science Submarine teaches kids about life below the water’s surface! They can operate the sub and look out for deep sea creatures, as well as conduct experiments. 

TreeTunes

This exhibit is all about combining the great outdoors with a love of music. 

Learn how to play percussion instruments such as xylophones, bells, and chimes, and learn about melodies, harmonies, and rhythm.

Marbles Kids Museum for Elementary School Children (7-10)

EcoSphere

This zone is designed to teach children about the importance of living sustainably and learn about renewable energy. They can play with solar, wind, and hydropower energy and learn about greener choices they can make.

imagiFAB

Creative children who love arts and crafts will go wild for imigiFAB, an exhibit where they can build, make, and even animate! Designed for older children, this is a space where they can experiment and invent new designs.

Moneypalooza

Have you ever tried to explain to your child that money doesn’t grow on trees? It’s not easy, so that’s where Moneypalooza comes in. This exhibit teaches children about the value of money in a fun and interactive way.

They can learn how to save, collect, and deposit money in the oversized Piggy Bank, learn to operate a business at Polly’s Pet Care and Mr. Vito’s Pizzeria, or even learn how to be their own boss at Entrepreneur Ellie’s Lemonade Stand.

When it comes to saving the pennies they have “earned” head to Banker Ben & Betty’s Money Movers to see how to stack, deposit, withdraw, disburse, and save up! 

Marbles’ Events

Marbles keeps the playtime fun happening with special themed and seasonal year-round events – with special discounted prices for members.

These can be loads of fun for the whole family and all their friends. Events include

• Kook Spooky Halloween
• Evening with Elves
• Gingerbread Jamboree
• Fairytale Tale Tea
• Future Me Fair

Marbles for Adults

Oh the big kids do not have to miss out on all the interactive play fun at Marbles. If you visit with friends who also have kids, yu an be very social while the kids are well entertained together. We had visiting friends – altogether 8 kids, and we spent hours at Marbles. The kids had a blast building forts with giant Legos and us adults had a great catch up while sitting around watching them!

The museum frequently holds adults-only events that includes just playtime and game in the museum, making gingerbread houses (with hops) and the annual Imagination ball.

We’re also attending the NC Governor’s Inauguration Ball here in April.

Be sure to check our event calendar and our curated weekly events guide, where we share events like this. Better still, subscribe to our email so you never miss an update, fun find, or unmissable event.

Don’t miss Color Pop Corner

At the back of Raleigh is a vibrant artistic space known as Color Pop Corner. Muralist Lisa Gaither transformed this one dilapidated as station space in 2018 into a vibrant Color Pop mural with geometric shapes us waiting for your “strike a pose.”

Restaurants near Marbles Kids Museum

When you’re all played out and you need refreshments or a snack, here are some family-friendly restaurants in downtown Raleigh near the Marbles Kids Museum that we love and are all within walking distance.

Beansprout Café + Coffee (Marbles On-Site Cafe)

Of course, the first place that springs to mind for refreshments is the onsite cafe. Bean Sprouts is an award-winning cafe that offers what the museum teaches – good food that’s healthy, farm-to-table, and whimsical.

Food is cut into fun shapes and they also have kid-favorite dishes such as sandwiches, pizzas, and ice cream.

For mom and dad, they serve gourmet espressos and other specialty coffees.

• Hours: 10:00am – 3:00pm Tuesday – Friday, 10:00am – 4:00pm Saturday & Sunday
• Address: 201 E Hargett St, Raleigh
• Website: marbleskidsmuseum.org/beansprouts 

Gravy

Gravy is a casual Italian American restaurant in downtown known for hearty pasta dishes and a casual, family-friendly vibe. It has a lovely outdoor seating area and has reasonable prices.

• Hours: 11:00am – 10:00pm Sunday – Thursday, 11:00am – 11:00pm Friday and Saturday
• Address: 135 S Wilmington St, Raleigh
• Website: gravyraleigh.com 

Beasley’s Chicken + Honey

We personally think that Beasley’s Chicken + Honey is one of the best places in Raleigh for sandwiches, so if you want a quick lunch spot, this is the place to go.

Kids will love the Chicken Salad Sandwich, Tuna Melt, or even the house specialty, Beasley’s SmashBurger.  And I guess the brownie and ice cream is a hit with the kids too, it was for mine

• Hours: 11:30am – 8:00pm Sunday and Monday, 11:30am – 9:00pm Friday, 11:30am – 10:00pm Saturday, Closed Tuesday and Wednesday
• Address: 237 S Wilmington St, Raleigh, NC 27601
• Website: Beasley’s Chicken + Honey

Vic’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria

Another great place for pizzas and simple Italian food is Vic’s Italian Restaurant, which has always offered us friendly and efficient service and has a warm, family-friendly atmosphere.

Every day they have different lunch and dinner specials, and serve complimentary garlic knots! 

• Hours: 11:00am – 10:00pm Monday – Thursday, 11:00am – 11:00pm Friday and Saturday, Closed Sunday
• Address: 331 Blake Street, Raleigh
• Website: Vicsitalianrestaurant.com 

Opening Hours and Entrance Fees for Marbles Kids Museum

To visit the Marbles Kids Museum, you must purchase a timed-entry ticket. The entry time is the time you enter, but you are welcome to stay and play all day. 

However, if you leave the museum, your ticket is no longer valid, so you can’t turn up in the morning, leave, and come back.

General Admission Tickets cost $12.00 for adults and children aged 1-11 (if you book in advance, this price is reduced to $9:00). The general museum is free for under 1s. There is a military discount of $1 for adults and children.

Even though there is a day of admission higher price, you still have to purchase those tickets online. You cannot buy tickets at the welcome desk. So be prepared and t’s better to book in advance as it gets busy and could be sold out.

Tickets to the IMAX cinema vary depending on whether it’s a documentary or feature film, and whether it’s 3D. Documentary films cost $7 for adults and $5 for children, feature films cost $12 for adults and $9 for children. There are concessions for members and military personnel. If you book a 3D movie, you must pay $1 for 3D glasses.

The Marbles Kids Museum is open from:

• Monday – Closed
• Tuesday – 10:00am – 5:00pm (no groups day)
• Wednesday – 10:00am – 5:00pm
• Thursday – 10:00am – 7:00pm (extended play hours)
• Friday – 10:00am – 5:00pm
• Saturday – 10:00am – 3:00pm
• Sunday – 10:00am – 5:00pm

If you become a member, you get an early entry from 9:00am each day.

FAQs About Marbles Kids Museum

What age is the Marbles Kids Museum for?

The Marbles Kids Museum caters to children of all ages, with areas designed for different age groups. There is a toddler area, and zones for older kids. From our experience, we would say any child from 18 months to around 11 years old will find things to enjoy about this museum.

Is there a family restroom?

Yes, there are family restrooms for visitors to use.

Is there a gift shop and what does it sell?

Yes, there is a gift shop at The Marbles Kids Museum and it sells educational toys, sensory items, books, and other educational toys. There is a discount for members.

Can you bring your own food or a picnic?

No, you cannot bring your own food to the Marbles Kids Museum. There is a café where you can purchase snacks, or you can eat a picnic in the Playway section outside the lobby, but you cannot eat in the exhibits.