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January 2024 by Abigail Z
It was something to do that was inside, but quite underwhelming. Needs more hands on learning. The exhibits lacked interaction and most of them were very dull. I would not recommend for little kids as it is a lot of reading. I did attend two shows in the planetarium. Arora was okay. The Webb show was boring. There is a small cafe, I did not eat there. The gift shop is nice but nothing special compared to other museums. Overall, I went here for something to do while it was cold. I wouldn't make a special trip to go back. If you have little kids I would maybe look into the edventure museum next door.
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December 2023 by Ali Bakir
You can tell it's built with huge budget. It doesn't have expensive dinosaur bones.However, they managed to make it look interesting and diverse.It definitely shows quality and character
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December 2023 by Jarvae Wright
As a former Public Safety officer at the Museum I enjoyed seeing the exhibits on a regular basis. Unfortunately, the actual job was not pleasant.The pay rate isn’t enough to retain most working adults not to mention a lot of the upper management there lacked personality, respect and also exhibited condescending behavior. Doug Beerman who was a General Manager there was just flat out weird and standoffish with staff. Specifically the Public Safety staff which he was responsible for. This weirdo would rarely make eye contact with his employees and just came off very stuck up. As for Public Safety I must admit it did not take very long for me to realize that this job was strictly transitional as it was posted as a part-time position but was promised by Chief Johnson-Alston that we were able to work as much as possible contingent on the needs of the museum. Well unfortunately that was a lie that was shot down by the HR Department. I was the first person whose hours were cutt. The Chief for this Department is a joke. She often asked employees for donations to her sorority on a regular basis which was weird and very unprofessional. Most of the people there sucked it up and contributed anyway. Was she not aware of the low pay at this job? But if anyone knew Chief Johnson you’d realize that she’s too self absorbed to be aware of reality of her employees. She was often rude and condescending to staff and patrons of the museum. She would show up to work as she pleased and would leave whenever she wanted to leave. She has an entire office of her own but would sit in the office with public safety staff just to watch employees and gossip about everyone including her own staff. This lady is a joke and the fact that she reigns supreme as a Department Head was baffling. She thinks she’s the smartest person in the room with her extremely cocky personality. I’d sit back and watch this clown and say to myself I’ll quit this job at any second. She also showed favoritism to the laziest employee lady on staff. Chief Johnson also exploited this lady and delegated her to do her personal work for the museum and also their sorority which the young lady absolutely hated doing but did it because she was getting close to 40hrs per week. In closing, Chief Johnson orchestrated a deliberate and untruthful lie regarding me having sexual relations with a female employee and her friend after a sorority Gala that I reluctantly paid $75 to attend. The rumors stated that I purchased drinks for the two ladies and and slept with them both after the event which was a hard lie as I didn’t find either ladies remotely attractive. I was just being friendly considering I worked with one of the ladies and also shared a table with them at this event. Once I heard the rumors which only the Chief could conjure up I immediately resigned from that position. The money is too low paying for that amount of drama. There maybe was one or two decent Public Safety staff there who seemed competent as adults. The other staffers were extremely bizarre and not very ambitious and complacent. I would recommend visiting this museum but would not recommend working there. At $12hr with horrible leadership and working environment I understand why they are unable to properly staff people at the museum specifically the Public Safety department. I had to bite my tongue daily with Chief Johnson and pretended to care about whatever it is she was doing or talking about as she often resembled a clown in appearance who’s favorite color was blue. Definitely a department full of misfits for the most part give or take one or two employees.
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December 2023 by Robert Mcdonald
Enjoyed the four hours there! Nice collection of artifacts!
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December 2023 by Katie Ratcliff
Ever since I can remember I have loved coming to the museum! I love the exhibits, even the ones they've had for years and years! There's so much to see and do and I learn something new each trip. I'm excited (and also slightly sad) that they are updating some of the older exhibits. I'll miss the old classics but I'm looking forward to whatever is next!
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November 2023 by Chad
Amazing place to visit!
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November 2023 by Jack Mahlmann
Brought the family as our first time event. Great interaction for younger kids, especially in the telescope area where a volunteer help explain the experience. Recommended to spend a few hours there.
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October 2023 by Jack Porter
Worth going if you have never been.
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October 2023 by Kieran Rich
It wasn't a great experience.Many of the larger exhibits were under construction.And there was a group of young school kids...maybe 2-3 grade AND THEY WERE SO LOUD!Their chaperones did and said nothing to fix this situation - even after I spoke to the children and then their teachers.Because of the open nature of the museum you could hear them everywhere - even from floor to floor. I thought maybe the museum staff might enforce a few decorum rules. But they, like us, were probably just hoping they would leave really soon.Even the gift shop was a bit of a disappointment.However, please don't let this review deter your visit.We have always enjoyed our visits in the past. I believe we just hit a very off day.With all of the exhibits finished and when there isn't a stampeding, screaming herd of unruly kids treating the museum like a playground, the South Carolina State Museum is a gem.We're lucky to have them.
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October 2023 by Jessica Jackson
Loved this experience!
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October 2023 by JMJ S
This was a day well spent, even without kids. The planetarium and 4D movies were cute, we enjoyed the telescope, SC history, and the Hunley exhibits. Several displays were closed for renovation. We appreciated that they are upgrading, so we didn't really mind.I lost a bracelet that I panicked about half way through our visit, the staff was super helpful, letting me check the theater and taking my info in case they found it. So nice! (We found it!)The cafe food was good and prices were reasonable. Service was very friendly.Overall, the staff made it a really great experience.
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June 2023 by Beth Banco
The state museum really is a Columbia treasure. I've been going my whole life and now take my kids, ages 6 and 8. They are just now getting to the age where they understand and appreciate what they're seeing. I'd say any younger than 6 it's probably a better idea to check out the children's museum across the street, Edventure. This museum is definitely geared towards ages 7-8 and up, in my opinion. You can easily spend 3-4 hours at the state museum, especially if you stop to read things. There's so much rich history in SC! The planetarium theater is awesome and we've enjoyed the different shows featured over the last year or two. The 4D theater is cool, but if you have a little one scared by sudden noises, feels, etc I'd skip it. Certain films have effects where they may mist you with water, the seat may vibrate, or you may feel some other sensation. So just know that in advance. My Boys love the military exhibits, dinosaurs, and space exploration exhibits the best. There's also a very impressive telescope collection, lots of prehistoric animals, a look at transportation and daily life over the years, life of the early Native Americans, and so much more!
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June 2023 by Mickeal Rhaney
Staff were pretty friendly. I was with a large group of people. I believe there could of been a better explanation of how we could navigate the area. There was construction going on during this time. Like any museum the food in the cafe was over priced for the quality of food. There are 4 floors so be sure to wear comfortable shoes. The hours are work friendly.
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April 2023 by Jessica Inskatiable T.
They only have 2 bathroom stalls open on each floor. The rest are closed for renovations. If you are ont the 4th floor there are none open. . When i tried to tell an employee that my kid used one of the out of order toilets before I could stop her he told me he wasn't a plumber. Like no crap. I was just trying to be nice by letting you know.
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April 2023 by Ann W B.
The State Museum has some quality displays: the train, space exhibit, animal exhibits for different areas of the state. Sadly, the hands on displays haven't changed (possibly since it opened) and show wear not to mention too similar. What was the biggest shock on Good Friday was the lack of employees or docents. The lady collecting fees had never been to the 3rd floor and referred us to the floor layout for questions about what would appeal to our young people. The only other non-guests we saw were 2 employees in the gift shop. Their supervisor showed up at closing. The gift shop and the ladies in there were always so friendly and helpful. These 2 ladies were withdrawn (almost afraid) of customers. The main visitor bathroom was gross and the floors had not be cleaned in months. What a shame this museum is not being staffed with knowledgeable eager history focused staff or housekeepers. Who is in charge now??