The Children's Museum of the Upstate in Greenville, SC
The Children's Museum of the Upstate opened at the end of July 2009. It's great fun for children of all ages, but mostly caters to the under 11 crowd. The well organized layout includes almost twenty different interactive activities such as the Reedy River Bend, which allows children to explore how water flows, changing tides, water pumps, and more. Also included are exhibits for air and space travel, race cars, a market, tools and construction, light waves, a television studio, a giant climbing apparatus, puzzles, and activities for toddlers.
Everyone over the age of one pays an entrance fee but you definitely get your money's worth and could spend half a day exploring the museum. A restaurant is on the premises, and birthday parties and group tours are available. One of the helpful services is that everyone is given a wristband upon entry and they are coded for each group. This means that if a child attempts to exit, the gate will not open without an associated adult exiting first. The wristband also allows visitors to come and go throughout the day.