EdVenture Children's Museum Guide: Hours, Tickets, Exhibits

Checked October 1, 2026 against EdVenture's own Plan Your Visit, Experiences and Accessibility pages.

EdVenture is a hands-on children's museum in the Vista, designed for ages 0 to 10 and best for kindergarten to 5th grade. It sits at 211 Gervais Street, Columbia, SC 29201, next to the South Carolina State Museum. Phone: 803-779-3100.

Hours (September 8, 2026 to Memorial Day)

Summer hours after Memorial Day 2027 had not yet been published when we checked.

Tickets

Buy at the door or online at sales.edventure.org. Memberships last one year from purchase; your photo ID is the card. EdVenture also lists a contact for families who need financial help with a visit.

Rules for grown-ups

• Adults need a child with them. An adult without a child may only enter escorted by staff, if someone is available.
• Shoes stay on, and children must be supervised at all times.
• No weapons of any kind, alcohol or smoking.

The exhibits

• Eddie: a 40-foot, three-story boy you climb through, from the brain down the spine, past the heart, lungs and stomach, and out through the digestive system.
• Flight: three interactive Boeing simulators, a prop plane to climb into and a paper-airplane test station.
• Dalmatian Station: a life-size 24-foot fire truck with a driving simulator.
• MedVenture: drive a life-like ambulance and use an oversized X-ray machine.
• Fossils to Futures: dinosaur sculptures made from recycled materials and a living mural.
• Busy Bee Farm, The Barn and The Neighborhood Market: follow food from a South Carolina farm to the checkout.
• Little Spot Diner and Wags & Whiskers (a pretend vet clinic with a "Pet Scanner").
• Draw Alive: color a character, scan it and watch it move on the big screen.
• A-HA! Makerspace for older kids, and The Great Outdoors, with a giant water table, gem mining and a raptor's nest.
• For under-3s: The Cube, My Backyard and Pollywog Pond, in the second-floor toddler area, which also has a private nursing room and family restroom.

Accessibility

Ask staff for the calming room, and borrow noise-cancelling headphones at the welcome desk. EdVenture also runs Sensory Nights; check its site for dates.

Parking

EdVenture's visit page does not publish parking details; use the "Get Directions" link there or call 803-779-3100 before you go.

Tips

• Do not plan a Tuesday visit; it is closed until Memorial Day.
• Arrive at opening (9 am, or noon on Sunday) to get the full day; the halls let you come and go.
• Make it a Vista day: EdVenture in the morning, lunch nearby, then the State Museum next door. Our things to do with kids guide has the State Museum's hours and its $1 first-Sunday admission.
• Bring a change of clothes for the water table outside.

More around Columbia

• Riverbanks Zoo & Garden guide
• Things to do in Columbia this weekend
• Columbia events, October–November 2026

The full list, by category: things to do in Columbia, SC.

Frequently asked questions

How much is EdVenture in Columbia, SC?

$15 for children and adults, $10 for seniors, military and first responders with ID, and free for children under 2, members, and SC public school pre-K to 12 classroom teachers.

Is EdVenture open on Tuesdays?

No. From September 8 until Memorial Day, EdVenture is closed on Tuesdays. It is open 9 am to 5 pm Monday and Wednesday to Saturday, and noon to 5 pm on Sunday.

What age is EdVenture for?

EdVenture's exhibits are designed for children 0 to 10, and work best for kindergarten to 5th grade. There is a second-floor toddler area for children three and under.

Can adults go to EdVenture without kids?

Not on their own. EdVenture's policy is that adults must have a child with them; an adult without a child may enter only if a staff member is available to escort them.

Where is EdVenture?

211 Gervais Street, Columbia, SC 29201, in the Vista next to the South Carolina State Museum.