Schiele Museum of Natural History

Made a trip for a mom and son day. I read the reviews prior to our trip so I was aware of what to expect. But for a small outing it was perfect.
We were greeted very nicely and the lady that rang us up, was very helpful. We really wanted to visit the planetarium but due to all the school field trips we were not able to. However, they had a petting zoo on our visit and that more than made up for it.
The museum itself is small, the displays not the fanciest but for a first time trip, we had a great time. The trail outside proved to be fun. Lots of fun facts and information. The big pond was an excitement for son too. It proved to be lots of fun hunting for turtles.
Sure, I wouldn’t go out of my way to return for a day of excitement but if I was in the area and needed something to do for the kiddo, I wouldn’t hesitate to return.

Surprising find 25 minutes outside of Charlotte. Small but enough to engage the kids for a few hours, particularly if the weather is nice enough to allow a walk on the trails.

Love the outdoors section of the museum. Great walking trails, a mill, stream, pond, old farm with animals and an Indian village.
The inside of the museum has undergone some renovations. There are permanent exhibits with a lot of «stuffed animals», in addition to some live animals which as others have noted are in very small enclosures. Admission for most kids is $ 6, $ 9 if you want to view the planetarium. Check their website for current «travelling exhibits».
I rate the inside 3 stars, the outside 4, but I’m rounding up because they do try and my kids really like the place.

I’ve been going here as a kid and I love it! Yes, most of the stuff here is taxidermy animals, but it’s still kinda cool. If that’s not your thing there’s a ton of stuff to do on the nature trail. If you’re on their email list or follow them on FB, sometimes they have evenings with free admission. I love taking my kids here.

Mixed feelings about different areas of the museum. The outdoor exhibits are GREAT. There was a living history event going on the day I visited and it was so much fun. We learned to play dominoes, saw them shoot an old rifle, cook on an open fire and watched the kids garden and play the simplest of games. The costumes were wonderful and the actors made you feel like you just stepped into the pages of a history book. The Indian village was closed, but the walking path outside of it was beautiful.
Then we went to the planetarium which is usually the highlight of any museum visit. This show about Indian myths and origins was god awful! It has nothing to do with a planetarium show. It was like a bad children’s book being forced upon you. I couldn’t wait to bolt to the exit when the lights came up.
The inside exhibits were good, especially the rocks and gemstones. There is a lot of taxidermy, which I should have expected for a natural history museum. My main concern was the enclosures for the live animals. They were far too small, especially for the alligators, and every enclosure was in desperate need of cleaning. Even the fish tanks. Being a voice for the animals, I was concerned.
All in all, this museum was a nice day out and bigger and better than expected. Next time, I’m hoping the animals are kept a little better and I will most definitely skip the planetarium show.

Tough to review this museum, as it was undergoing renovations during our visit. My kids were most excited to see the full-​sized T-​Rex skeleton in the lobby, but the rest of the place was basically a collection of stuffed animals behind glass. The anthropology exhibits were a little over my kids’ heads, but they still gave me a chance to talk about some basic evolutionary concepts. The outdoor farm exhibit was also closed, so we’ll have to come back another time to get the full effect of the Schiele. All in all, not a bad way to entertain the kids on a rainy afternoon.

This museum mostly consists of old taxidermied animals. There are some live animal exhibits, which I was unaware of, and I would not have visited had I known beforehand. The live animals all looked very depressed and cramped in their tiny indoor display tanks as obnoxious people gawked at them and banged on the glass. The whole thing just left me feeling disgusted and sad, and this is the main reason for my two-​star review.
The planetarium left much to be desired. It was a small room with a projector which showed us a short documentary on Cassini’s mission to Saturn.
The most enjoyable part of my trip was actually the free outdoor exhibits, including a beautiful 18^th century farm with a hog, sheep and chickens. The Stone Age site and Indian village were also lovely. If I were to return again, it would be just to revisit these outdoor sites and the nature trail.

What a great treasure located in Gastonia NC. I think I probably resound my fellow contributors: its all about the planetarium. They have an amazing collection of taxidermy on display. I think most of the collection has seen its age.
The Schiele is currently under renovation and is extending. I’m very curious what will be added. On a good day, I highly recommend taking a walk on their trails and experience a Catawba village. There’s much more to see outside.

This is an okay place to visit. I came here for the planetarium, and there really isn’t much offered. The museum was good. I liked the bugs exhibit.

Wow, there are a lot of dead things here! I mean, I expected that there would be animals in a natural history museum, but MAN, there are cases upon cases, upon rooms upon rooms made up ONLY of stuffed beasts of every sort. I would have appreciated a bit more information about the animals, as most only had their name on a plate.
I did think that the collection of minerals was impressive.
My children enjoyed the pirate exhibit, although it was extremely discordant with the rest of the museum.
To top it off, the planetarium is completely closed on Mondays, which I did not realize until we got to the museum.
I will visit again, when the planetarium is open, and also when it is a bit cooler, in order to enjoy some of the outdoor exhibits.

I used to go to middle school right next door to this place, so it’s safe to say I’ve been here quite a few times in my life.
The Schiele always intrigued me with the variety of things they had to offer. While I wasn’t a huge fan of the exhibits inside, I always loved the outdoor nature trails & exhibits. They have a Native American exhibit outside which I always loved walking through. Inside, the displays never seemed anything special to me, as nothing moved, which is what intrigues kids. They also have a planetarium where they have astronomy type lessons & such.
The Schiele is a good little museum tucked away in Gastonia & I always loved going here in my elementary & middle school years.