We had the exciting opportunity to check out the new Cook Museum of Natural Science in Decatur and since it’s summer and we think you need to add this to your bucket list, we wanted to give you some tips before you go!
The Cook Museum of Natural Science is a state of the art natural science museum in downtown Decatur. It provides a hands on, immersive experience where people of all ages can explore, interact with, and learn about nature.
1. Perfect Day Trip:
The Museum is a quick drive from Birmingham, only about an hour and twenty minutes from just south of Downtown making it the perfect trip if you’re looking to do something different and still be back home in time for dinner!
2. You’re Going to Need Some Time:
There are 62,000 square feet in the museum, that’s a lot of opportunity for exploring. We highly suggest allowing at least 2 hours to see everything, we were there with no crowds and spent more than that trying to soak up all of the cool things to see, plus they have THE coolest sand table that you will probably need an extra hour for when your kids are ready to circle back around and play more at that exhibit.
3. Delicious Food Options:
Inside the Cook Museum of Natural Science is Alabama’s first Nature’s Table Cafe. Enjoy ‘clean eating’ at its finest with healthy wraps, sandwiches, salads, protein bowls, smoothies, coffee, and more, all made to order with the freshest ingredients. We highly recommend the Baha Turkey Jack sandwich, the peanut butter cup smoothie and the acai bow topped with granola. We got to try lots of menu samples but those stood out as our favorites!
4. Parking:
Free parking is located in 3 lots around the museum. Primary parking adjacent to the museum and 2 secondary lots located on Holly Street and Cherry Street
5. Exit Through the Gift Shop:
As with most museums and attractions, Cook Museum has a great gift shop that has some very affordable and fun things for the kids and adults. Even with a budget of about $5 or $10 your kiddo (or you) can walk away with a cool keepsake.
The Cook Museum of Natural Science is located at:
133 4th Ave NE
Decatur, AL 35601
Ticket Prices:
Adult (Age 15+) $20
Child (Age 2-14) $15
Infant (2 and Under) Free
Senior (age 65+) $17
Military (with Military ID) $17
Groups (15 or more) $17 for Adult, $13 for Child
Grand Opening Weekend Hours: June 7-9
Friday, June 7th 11am – 8pm
Saturday, June 8th 9am – 8pm
Sunday, June 9th 11am- 6pm
Normal Hours of Operation:
Monday – Thursday 9am – 6pm
Friday 9am – 7pm
Saturday 9am – 8pm
Sunday 12pm – 6pm