Monthly News & Updates

May 2025

FlutterBy Butterfly Habitat

The beloved FlutterBy Butterfly Habitat is opening at the Catawba Science Center on May 10th! Members get exclusive access to the habitat one hour prior to public opening Saturdays in May: 5/10, 5/17, 5/24, and 5/31. Not a member? Join today for member-only perks this Spring! Every three years, this exhibit sees the Outdoor Science Courtyard transformed into an enchanting butterfly oasis. This year, we are excited to bring you an accessible courtyard flat with new surfaces that will accommodate wheelchairs and walkers. Visit the habitat to learn about the butterfly life cycle at the butterfly nursery. Discover North Carolina native butterflies and find out the plants that attract them as you enjoy a wide array of flowers, shrubs, and vines.

Be a part of our FlutterBy exhibit story! Share your photos from the exhibit with us! Click below to submit your photos.

Submit Your Photos!

Thank You to our Sponsors

Turtle Travels

Adventure awaits! Turtle Travels is opening at the Catawba Science Center on May 17th! Members-only opening May 16th. Turtle Travels showcases the incredible journey undertaken by turtles. Learn about migration patterns, nesting habitats, and conservation efforts related to these fascinating creatures throughout this exhibit, located in Carpenter Hall. Make an additional stop at the Aquarium building to see our resident turtles and tortoises!

Sponsor

ADULTS ONLY science program

Science After Dark:

Birds & Bees

Join us for a wild night at Catawba Science Center with the birds & bees (and butterflies) on May 22nd from 6 – 9 PM! Explore all of CSC exhibits in both buildings plus, weather permitting, our newly opened FlutterBy Habitat. Enjoy a planetarium show, a scavenger hunt, and learn about animal reproduction from LRU biologists! Admission is free for members and $16 for non-members. Beer and wine will be available for a donation. We hope to see you there!

Amphibian Week

Hop your way into the Naturalist Center on Wednesday, May 7th and Friday, May 9th from 2 – 4 PM, and Saturday, May 10th from 10 AM – 12 PM to learn all about amphibians and the amazing qualities they have!

Free event with the purchase of admission.

SPARK: A STEM

Career Showcase

Don't miss this month's SPARK event! We are pleased to host Graystone Eye on Saturday, May 10th and Jennifer Owen on Saturday, May 17th from 1 – 3 PM in the Foothills Collaboratory! Spark is a STEM career showcase featuring local industries in the Carolina Foothills. Participate in guided activities based on their careers. Free event with the purchase of admission.

Naturalist Program:

Turtle Talk

Turtle Travels opens May 17th through September 7th! Learn more in-depth about the importance of turtle habitat conservation at this month's Naturalist Program: Turtle Talk. On Saturday, May 24th from 10 AM – 12 PM, in the Naturalist Center!

Free event with the purchase of admission.

SUMMER SCIENCE EVENTS

Registration is open for Summer Fun 2025

Registration is OPEN for Summer Fun 2025! Looking for a fun summer activity for your Pre-K through 9th graders? Check out our Summer Fun Science Camps! Spaces fill up fast; click below to see our weekly offerings and check availability for your budding scientist. Looking for a fun summer job? Become a Summer Fun PM Counselor! Apply Today!

Members Night

at the Crawdads

The 2025 Hickory Crawdads season is right around the corner! Join us for CSC member nights on June 6th (Hickory Goat-Karts) and again on July 25th (Princess Night) as a benefit of CSC Membership! Claim up to 4 free tickets per game with your CSC membership card.

Join Today!

Be the first to know about all the fun Catawba Science Center offers and get important notifications through our Text Updates!

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NOW PLAYING

in the Millholland Planetarium

Always Above

NEW! Always Above explores how close space is to our daily lives, what type of satellites are up there, the threats that exist and the role that the U.S Space Force plays in launching, operating, and defending these assets.

Premieres May 2nd with showtimes every Friday in May at 3 PM.

Living Worlds

Whether earthly or alien, all life leaves a trace. Journey through space and time to discover how life makes Earth livable, where it could be found elsewhere in the cosmos, and what new technologies we might use to find it. Along the way, you'll learn how light and color can help us spot other living worlds even from vast distances-and develop a new appreciation for the one-of-a-kind planet right beneath our feet.

Magic Tree House:

Mission to Space

Travel with Jack and Annie, stars of the Magic Tree House® bestselling children’s book series, as they visit an observatory and beyond into space with the help of an astronomer and astronaut.

View Planetarium Showtimes!

*Millholland Planetarium has a 65-person limit; seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Preschool Educator – Part time

Birthday Party Presenter – Part time

Summer Fun PM Counselor – Part time

Apply Now!

MEMBERSHIP

Reciprocal Membership!

CSC Members have access to free general admission to more than 380+ Science Centers around the world! The Association of Science and Technology Center’s (ASTC) Passport Program and more than 180 museums across the Southeast through the Southeastern Reciprocal Membership Program (SEMC). Click below to learn more today!

Learn More!

We LOVE our NC Science Network & ASTC friends in Western NC!

Many museums and sites across western NC were significantly affected by Hurricane Helene, experiencing physical damage, power outages, and revenue losses from closures. As they work to reopen, your support through visits to their museums, participation in programs, or purchases from their gift shops would be greatly appreciated!

Asheville Museum of Science (AMOS), Asheville
FIND Outdoors, Pisgah Forest
Grandfather Mountain, Linville
Hands On! Children’s Museum, Hendersonville
Highlands Biological Station, Highlands
KidSenses Interactive Children’s Museum, Rutherfordton
North Carolina Arboretum, Asheville
Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI), Rosman
Team ECCO, Hendersonville
Western NC Nature Center, Asheville

Please check websites or call the facility for status updates & ASTC Passport Program benefits. Visit CatawbaScience.org for additional reciprocal information.

Sign up for the NC Science Trail Explorer Newsletter to see all the events happening across the great state of North Carolina! Check the list of reciprocal partners for museums that you can visit for free with your CSC membership!

Subscribe Today!

Portal to Science Program

Get discounted CSC Admission for only $2! The Portal to Science program provides low-cost admission to families in Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, or Lincoln counties who receive benefits from the Department of Social Services or Public Health.

Learn how to qualify and get your Portal to Science card today!

Find Out How!

CSC COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Get Your Discounts Today!

CELEBRATE WITH SCIENCE!

Have your next birthday party at the Science Center!

Entertaining, educational, and fun! Choose from 5 + different science themes, and let us do the rest!*

*CSC will be increasing birthday party prices as of July 1, 2025.

Book Your Party at CSC!

APRIL BIRTHDAYS!

Dylan Rogers

Junie Phillips

Sawyer Todd

John Pilgrim

River Browning

Emma & Ben Tomblin

Cali Mayo

Nathaniel Hooks

PARTNERS IN SCIENCE

Thank you to CSC's Partners in Science for providing essential support for science education programs during the 2024-2025 school year. Our Partners support helps CSC keep program fees reasonably priced so that area schools can participate in hands-on science education at CSC!

PREMIER LEVEL

Alex Lee Inc.

Appalachian State University

Broyhill Family Foundation, Inc.

Catawba Valley Health System

Corning Optical Communications, LLC

Microsoft

OS1st

EXECUTIVE LEVEL