The Qubein Children’s Museum in High Point, NC

Nido & mariana qubein children's museum

This new children’s museum is located in High Point, NC. It’s the newest and the coolest we’ve been to and it’s only a 3.5 hour drive from most spots in the Grand Strand.

We’ll give you the scoop on what makes this museum special – and what else to do while you’re in High Point too! It’s a neat city and if it hasn’t been on your radar yet then consider this a seed planted.

first, tell me about high point & nido

Some context is needed before jumping into the kids museum – especially since this will need to be an overnight trip. High Point, NC is known for two main things – furniture and High Point University.

The world-famous High Point furniture market draws the biggest brands and insiders to town twice a year. And High Point University is growing in size and influence as a premier college in the southeast. The institution has been referred to as the Disneyland of college campuses because of all the free amenities.

and what about the museum

Nido Qubein is known for doing things to impress and that reputation carries through in this children’s museum. It is 75,000 square feet of brand-new, well-designed, thoughtful and creative play space. Kids will go bonkers for it and parents might too (it’s seriously fun!). For comparison, EdVenture in Myrtle Beach is 8,500 square feet. It’s a lot to cover so we’ll highlight our top 5 things about this museum.

ADMISSION | $12 for all (babies 11 months and younger are free)

BUY IN ADVANCE | The museum offers tickets in 4 hour blocks for the AM and PM hours. Walk-up tickets are available but are very limited.

BEST FOR AGES | All of them! We’ll cover this in more detail.

HOW LONG TO SPEND | To really enjoy all the museum offers you’ll need all 4 hours of your visit time. And ideally more! This is one the locals definitely get the annual membership to enjoy.

1. the realistic main street & shops

Most kids museums will have one or two little shops for kids to enjoy pretend play but this museum re-creates the whole city! There is a news station, cafe, furniture design shop (nod to the city’s biggest industry), dentist, veterinarian, auto shop, and a model firetruck and ambulance. Each of them are complete with the most realistic props and engaging activities we’ve seen.

Kids hardly know where to go first in this section! Thankfully it’s all concentrated along one main “street” with clear visibility so parents can keep an eye on kids darting between the shops.

Around the corner downstairs there is a Hall of Mysteries with fun interactive elements for kids and adults.

2. The giant train table & courage climber

The biggest train table you’ve ever seen greets you as you come through the door. And the largest “courage climber” too. The train table kept getting attention every time we’d pass through this section. There is also a small fish tank and food court in the main area. This is a great open space with plenty of seating for guardians looking to rest while the kids explore.

Also downstairs is the cinema which has 3-4 mini-films or educational options available during each 4 hour touring window. And a very large area for kids 3 years old and younger called GiNormous. It plays off the city’s furniture heritage too featuring an oversized dresser, chair and laundry basket. So fun and interesting for kids and adults!

3. The water room

This is the single place where we spent the most time. There are two tanks, one designed for younger kids and one for older but both equally engaging for all ages. The room features all kinds of water spouts, tracks for balls to shoot up then run across the ceiling and land back in the tanks, a working dam to release and race boats, and more.

It’s plenty big and did not feel crowded at all during our visit. Again there is plenty of seating for adults and an employee monitoring the floor for excessive wetness and running children.

3. upstairs steam & art space

The second floor is open season for older kids to create and construct. There is a very large STEAM Lab featuring science, tech, engineering, art and math elements. This section features legos, large foam blocks, an interactive wall of words, and so many little nooks to get immersed in play.

The art room is also very impressive. There are multiple tables setup with all the crayons, pencils, gluing supplies and paper you’d need to create the “activity of the day” or whatever else your little ones heart desires.

There is also a very cool Mars themed space and an arcade room.

4. indoor climbing & sliding fun

The other half of the upstairs is full of options to test your kids physically. There is indoor play structures for climbing, sliding, balancing, and learning.

There is even a rock wall!

This is the one area where it’s a little hard to keep good visibility on your kids. The elements are packed in somewhat tightly and they flow one right into the other.

There is also a little area for a puppet show and space to learn about some of NC’s coastal towns plus a lighthouse and boat that kids can climb in and explore.

5. the outdoor space

The outside is equally impressive. When you walk in you’ll see several large dinosaurs to greet you along with some animal shrubbery (not real shrubs). From the back of the museum you can access the other outdoor amenities. There is a large lawn with a small concert stage, a giant chess board, a large play structure, a sandpit and scooter car track and the carousel.

It’s worth the price of admission just to enjoy this. Kids can take unlimited rides on the carousel without even getting off!