Living Arts & Science Center

This was our first time here and it was a big zero. The building is very interesting, the combination of the old and new architectural styles. That was nice, and many of the exhibits were of high quality and design. (Definitely focused at adults).The science exhibits were junk. The initial ideas were good but the maintenance was horrible. On every activity, my 6 year old, could not figure out what to do (usually the pieces were missing, or broken or were on the other side of the room.). There were marbles for one exhibit on the floor across the room from where the exhibit was, and I narrowly missed stepping on them and falling. I removed a stool that the leg was sort of attached and sort of not.The fish tank was filthy. Hard to see the large fish in the small tank because the water and sides of the tank were thick with algae.There was more issues but you get the jest.

We came here for Day of the dead festival. Dancers and musicians entertained us then we learned about the day as we viewed artwork and memorials to those who have passed. Several crafts for kids and Mexicana food vendors (long lines)..

This is the first time I have been in this building but enjoyed the artwork viewing tonight. We attended the Day of the dead art festival and enjoyed the live entertainment. The program included all types of children's craft such as mask making, skeleton mobile, a lantern, and flower crowns. We enjoyed watching the mariachi band and Mexican dancers. There were food vendors out front for food purchases. There were alters set up for day of the dead festivities. The tour of the center and activities were very enjoyable!

A fun place with lots of activities and events for kids. My boys always love coming here for any of their events. Their planetarium shows are fun and educational. Most recently they had a reptile night with a boa constrictor, baby alligator, snapping turtle, and legless lizard (and I learned that a legless lizard is different from a snake). I even got to play with clay and make clay turtles with my boys. The staff is amazing and always so friendly and happy to explain whatever exhibit they are at.I would recommend checking out their calendar of events on their website and find a fun activity to spend time learning with your kids.

The Good: a lot of free, fun events for kids and families, the wildlife, the people.The Bad: a little small for now, however they are under construction to expand tremendously.The Rundown: this place is a secret gem of lexington for families. I never knew about it until I started working downtown. A beautiful old building, full of character, the people are so nice and accommodating. Everyone here really enjoys what they do. They have some awesome exhibits, animals, art that are there for people to enjoy.The Impression: now that I know about this place I will definitely be back. I think itnis a fantastic addition to lexington that is something that the whole family can enjoy, especially after the additions are done!

Youngest son attended a summer camp and loved every minute of it. Excellent organization. Lots of exciting activities and great communication from the teachers. Will be back again very soon.

I would absolutely love to give this place soaring reviews, but I honestly can't do that. I have given it multiple tries, I even have a year membership. However, it is a hot mess every single time I go. My frustration today was that 90% of the exhibits were closed due to a school field trip. The man checking me in did tell me there was a field trip present today with no elaboration past that. I figured that having it be a little crowded was no sweat and proceeded with my child anyway. I should have been informed at that point that the field trip was commandeering 90% of the museum and those areas were closed for the public. If I would have been told that I would not be able to access the children's area or planetarium, I would have just turned around and left.While the above is frustrating, my review is based on multiple experiences/trips. Here is a brief recap of my thoughts:1.) planetarium shows have never once been on time for me. 75% of the time, they are never played at all. I tried on more than one occasion to have someone start the showing only for them to say they are understaffed and proceed to never come upstairs to turn it on.2.) Most of the animal tanks are completely filthy to the point where it is a struggle seeing some of the animals. It's really sad. 3.) interactive exhibits often have unclear instructions 4.) they layout of the museum and lack of signage/ staff presence always makes me feel like I'm somewhere I'm not supposed to be. A few positives- 1.) I'm impressed by how clean they typically keep the play areas (minus animal tanks)2.) I love having a lot of craft options in the arts and crafts area. Today we made ornaments.You may ask- if you dislike this place, why do you keep returning?It's simple- Saving money. I bought the membership, so I will be darned if I don't get my money worth. Would I purchase again?Possibly. Not because of this museum though. They are a member of a museum network that grants members free/cheap tickets to other better museums (Cosi, the Highlands in Ashland). I'm all for saving that $$ and if I have to support a place I don't love in order to save a few bucks, I am not above it.