About TCMU Spartanburg

Located at 130 Magnolia Street in the heart of downtown, TCMU Spartanburg has two levels of interactive exhibits. The hours are 9 am – 4:30 pm Tuesday – Saturday and 11 am – 4:30 pm on Sundays.

Tickets are $10 for SC residents and $15 for non-residents. Educators, homeschool students, seniors, and military receive a discounted ticket price of $8. Members and children under the age of six 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. You can buy tickets online.

Your admission includes ALL DAY access, and you can come and go as needed. For example, you could go in the morning, head home for naps, and return in the afternoon! You can also purchase a membership that gives your entire family access to both the Greenville and Spartanburg locations.

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

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

First 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 also has stroller parking. As you walk in, you’ll 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.

Second 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.

Continue through the second level, and you’ll find a giant train table, another enclosed baby play area, and the Storyburg exhibit. A class room is towards the back of the first floor, or closest to the stairwell going back up to the main entrance.

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 be as complex or as simple as the child wishes. For example, my six-year-old was prompted to create a picture of her family using pre-cut circles. My 22-month-old and three-year-old were happy just to get to use glue sticks and paste as many circles onto paper as they wanted.

What makes TCMU Spartanburg awesome

There is SO much to do! Kids love it! Even my six-year-old and her seven-year-old friend, who are technically over the age the exhibits are geared towards, were constantly occupied and having fun. It was a magical level of freedom and exploration 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.

The open space of the floor plan means you can sit in a central location and still keep your children in sight as they move from exhibit to exhibit. So if one child wants to explore the grocery store, one wants to play doctor, and another 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. 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 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

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