Have you been to Spartanburg’s children’s museum yet? TCMU Spartanburg offers a fun and educational indoor activity geared specifically for children five years of age and under. This museum location is perfect for your littlest ones. With padded play areas, water play, a Publix mini grocery store, and a new Storyburg, there’s plenty for them to explore!

Looking for more indoor activities to entertain the kiddos this summer?
Check out our Indoor Guide to Spartanburg!

About TCMU Spartanburg

Located at 130 Magnolia Street in the heart of Spartanburg’s downtown, TCMU Spartanburg is an attached two-story building with two levels of interactive exhibits to explore. The hours are from 9 am – 4:30 pm Tuesday – Saturday and Sunday 11 am – 4:30 pm.

Tickets are $10 for SC residents and $15 for Non-SC Residents. Educators, homeschool students, seniors, and military receive a discounted ticket price of $8. Members and children under the age of 6 months get in free. TCMU also participates in the Museums for All Program, which means families can gain admission for $5 per person when they present an EBT card. Advance timed ticketing is encouraged for entry and can be purchased online.

With your museum admission, you have access ALL DAY and can come and go as needed. For example, you could go in the morning, head home for naps, and come back in the afternoon! You can also purchase a membership that allows access for your entire family for both the Greenville and Spartanburg locations.

Public parking is available off of Magnolia Street and there is also a parking garage directly across from the museum, which is reasonably priced.  (Around $1 for two hours of parking.) There are also limited free spots in front of the storefronts along Magnolia.

This museum is specifically designed for children 6 and under and includes lower exhibits for smaller children and areas designed for babies.

1st floor at TCMU Spartanburg

TCMU Spartanburg has a friendly, helpful staff that will stamp your hand upon payment and entrance. This stamp allows you all-day access to the museum.

The first floor has stroller parking, as well. As you walk in you will see an enclosed padded play area for smaller babies. They can scoot, crawl, and toddle to their hearts’ content. This is a shoe-free zone, too.

Deeper into the museum is a fully stocked and recently remodeled Publix grocery store, pediatric doctor’s office, tree-themed climbing playhouse and slides, and leaf vacuum/blower.

2nd floor at TCMU Spartanburg

Head down the staircase or elevator to check out the basement level. There is an interactive water exhibit that features water spray spouts, building and manipulating currents, fishing poles, and lures, and special baby seats for the tiniest explorers to safely sit and splash in the water.

Aprons are available to keep clothes dry, but you may also want to bring a change of clothes if your child doesn’t want to wear the apron.

Continue through the 2nd level and you will find a giant train table, another enclosed baby play area and the new Storyburg exhibit. Towards the back of the first floor (or closest to the stairwell going back up to the main entrance) is the classroom.

Special crafts and storytimes are located in the classroom and staff will invite children in to participate and create a project. This is great for kids of all ages as the craft can usually be as complex or as simple as the child wishes. For example, using pre-cut circles, my 6-year-old was prompted to create a picture of her family, while my 22-month-old and three-month-old were happy just to get to use glue sticks to paste as many circles as they desired onto the paper.

What makes TCMU Spartanburg awesome

There is SO much to do! Kids love it! Even my 6-year-old and her 7-year-old friend, who is technically over the age the exhibits are geared towards, were constantly occupied and having fun, but it is a magical level of freedom and exploration and play for my 22-month-old and three-year-old. All the exhibits are just the right height for them to play independently and without a plethora of older children, they felt confident and safe to freely explore and play.

They have never been ready to leave when I finally call it a day.

And, the open space of the floor plan means you can sit in a central location and still keep your children insight as they move from exhibit to exhibit. So if one child wants to explore the grocery store, while the other child wants to play doctor, and one more wants to climb into the treehouse and slide, you can easily keep an eye on everyone without having to negotiate locations with your children.

This is awesome! As a mother of three, I cannot love this more. The facilities are clean. Staff members are always tidying and the floors and toys are clean and accessible.

There are picnic tables outside the building if you want to pack a lunch or snack and sneak outside for a quick edible recharge, or you can walk to one of the nearby restaurants if you are looking for a more formal sit-down lunch and then head back to TCMU for more fun.

I am so excited and proud of Spartanburg for creating such a wonderful place for our youngest citizens to play and learn together. I look forward to many more playdates at TCMU.

Visit TCMU Spartanburg

TCMU Spartanburg
130 Magnolia Street, Spartanburg
864.233.7755

Tuesday – Saturday: 9 am – 4:30 pm
Sunday: 11 am – 4:30 pm

General admission: $10-15
Seniors & Military: $8
Members: Free

Here are all the best things to do in Spartanburg, SC!

Take a look at TCMU’s other location: TCMU Greenville

Have you checked out TCMU, yet?  If so, we would love to hear about your experience!