ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain

Reviews

• November 18, 2024
  "Such a fun place, even for adults. All the volunteers and staff are super friendly and work to get you engaged. Lots of science to learn!"
  - Maude M.
• October 10, 2024
  "My son Skyler loves ECHO. Our family has been taking him since he was a baby and now is 7 and still is in love with all it has to offer."
  - Clara Tatro
• June 25, 2024
  "My toddler son who is Autistic absolutely LOVES going to ECHO and so do we. This little aquarium is filled with so much fun & education for all ages. The staff is so upbeat & friendly with accommodating your needs."
  - Amber Lyn
• June 25, 2024
  "We love visiting ECHO!!! Always a great time"
  - NICOLE DOYLE
• June 24, 2024
  "So many interesting things are offered for various ages. Definitely enjoy visiting with our family and seeing new exhibits."
  - Amy Gillespie
• June 24, 2024
  "My daughter loves going to Echo! We have had a membership for the last two years and its always an exciting trip no matter how often we go I would recommend, for all ages!"
  - T Mer
• June 24, 2024
  "A great place for my son to come and learn and play! One of our favorite places to go!"
  - Kaitlyn C
• June 24, 2024
  "Last week we brought our son to the Mo Willems exhibit and explored Echo. What a great place for children to explore."
  - Mary Jane Ainsworth
• June 24, 2024
  "We Love Echo! My toddler could spend hours just watching the sturgeons swim back and forth. Lots of hands on activities and interesting information on our local ecosystem."
  - Lisa Hayes
• June 24, 2024
  "My three kids love going here. The exhibits change often and that allows my kids to explore something new. I do wish admissions was a little more affordable."
  - Amy
• June 23, 2024
  "We love visiting Echo a couple times a year. The gross motor skills, water-play, and dramatic play area is a favorite."
  - Lexy
• June 23, 2024
  "Brought my 8 year old and my cousin from out of state with her 1 year old. They absolutely loved it. This place always has something fun and engaging for my daughter no matter how many times we go. And my cousin's son loved the water table and seeing everything. Definitely one of our go to activies."
  - Jennifer G
• June 23, 2024
  "Great play area for kids, the exhibits are Informational and fun, wish they hadnt taken the touch pool away as that was fun for the kids to experience. We have a great time every time we go, hoping to see the butterfly exhibit come back soon."
  - Amber goslette
• June 23, 2024
  "Like that place. Always fun and interesting"
  - Elena Reingard
• June 23, 2024
  "My daughter loved the Mo Willems theme! She has read all the books. Very cool to see and explore !"
  - Kat
• June 23, 2024
  "Need a place to cool down in the afternoon this summer? ECHO is less busy from 2-5pm and has AC!"
  - Stacia Judd
• June 23, 2024
  "We just visited Echo yesterday! Kids had a blast especially in the The Pigeon exhibit!"
  - Liz
• June 23, 2024
  "A great family day trip! We have been multiple times."
  - Kate
• June 22, 2024
  "A great indoor play areas around for littles and STEM activities for a little older. The traveling exhibits are usually in rough shape."
  - Abbe Carroll
• June 21, 2024
  "A Great Day Trip To Check Out with Youngsters!
  This places is interactive and fun for all ages! Its a quick place to add onto your travel itinerary or daily activity schedule! Overall a fun spot to poke in to from time to time."
  - Vtfun
• August 21, 2017
  "Great experience for the whole family. We loved it so we went back a week later to enjoy it some more!"
  - Abrace0326
• August 14, 2017
  "Brought my 4 yrs old daughter to ECHO and she loved it! Especially all of the activities in Champ Lane. They have big playhouses, a tree house, a big boat, and a ship to play in with some dress up clothes. The water table area is fun too. My daughter's favorite was the vet care area where she helped take care of stuffy snakes, frogs, and fish. She gave them food, a check up, and looked at x-rays, all while wearing a white doctors jacket. Outside of Champ Lane, they have real amphibians, turtles, fish, snakes, and marine life to visit and more childrens activities to do. Great place for the family to visit!"
  - JChenette
• August 14, 2017
  "I took my boys to the Echo center and they loved it. I hope to bring them back soon."
  - Momof2boys
• March 2, 2016
  "I brought my two boys back for the 2nd time. They are currently 6 and 4 and the last time we went they were 1 and 3. I'm so impressed with the improvements. The new play space is amazing but I was most impressed with all the other interactive displays. Such a great fun and education day for all."
  - Mommy2boys
• November 5, 2015
  "I accompanied my son's 2nd grade class on a field trip to ECHO for the Snowboard Experience exhibit. It is certainly a fitting exhibit for Vermont showing a visual history of snowboard shapes and designs, and has several fun hands-on activities for kids. The kids especially loved trying out the different balance boards, learning snowboard stances and building a snowboarding mountain out of magic sand. I recommend a visit to ECHO for this exhibit!"
  - elzywick
• August 11, 2015
  "Wish there was more hands-on exhibits. Geared for a narrow age group 4 - 8"
  - carmengeorgevt@gmail.com
• February 12, 2015
  "Echo offers a fun and entertaining way to kill time with kiddos but at a price. I was surprised how pricey it was for the size of the venue. It's cute and offered something to do for my 15 month old and I on a REALLY cold day but I can easily see how it might be cost-prohibitive with a large family. Educational exhibits and enough to keep you busy for a little while but I imagine the older kids would get bored quickly. Two things that struck me as odd. First, no changing table in the restroom. I resorted to putting her on the little table against the wall and putting a jacket under her head. Really not ideal and surprising being that it's a family-friendly place. And who was the genius who thought a water feature at knee level should go in the lobby by the coat rack? I kept trying to get myself bundled up and had to keep grabbing my toddler who thought it might be fun to play in before going outside. Argh! So, fun way to spend some time but I don't know that I'd go regularly unless I had a discount on admission."
  - GreenMtnGal
• February 11, 2015
  "We've loved bringing the kids here since they could first walk. They love seeing the fish and turtles, playing at the water table, squishing the kinetic sand, or playing in the mini sailboat. They always have a blast! We went to Burton's learn to snowboard event this past spring and it was fabulous. The only drawback is the expense of admission:("
  - rebeccamomof2
• June 15, 2014
  "I really want to love it but it just is not worth the money. I would not pay the full amount to go here, instead get the pass from the library and that will help with some of the disappointment. We had gotten a season pass one year and went several times. The kids were bored an hour in and ready to go. We did however get great use out of the pass program where you go to other museums and use your annual membership for here. That was the only way I rationalized the amount I paid. Just an idea on admission, it's the same to go to the Boston kids museum. Now that is worth every penny!"
  - maememories
• August 22, 2013
  "This place is great very educational. Theres lots of things to see. They have a great cafe in the building. The only complaint I have is a little pricey."
  - bluebingo
• August 20, 2013
  "Love echo! It can get pretty crowded on the weekends, which is tough. Would also love to see lockers in the lobby & read the fine print on the pass. Museums within 90 miles do not have to participate in the science center exchange. Oh well, still love Echo, great rainy day activity!"
  - Rbkarp
• August 20, 2013
  "My kids love this place! My boys are 3&4yr old.. They never want to leave. I agree that it's pricey! I usually rent the day pass from my local library and get in for free! :)"
  - Mfamily412
• August 20, 2013
  "Took my 3 year old there this past weekend to see the Larger the T- Rex exhibit. First we were charged $10 to park ( Very Pricey I thought) then Paid $37.50 for me my daughter and my boyfriend. They only had 5 dinosaurs. and we when though the whole place in 1 hour.(and remember I have a 3 year old) They need more stuff and make it more interesting. We wont be going back until they make it cheaper and make it more interesting."
  - niftypeg
• August 19, 2013
  "Its a fun place for a rainy day. Lots of interesting creatures to view. My kids are now 8 and 10 and I find that they are not as interested as they used to be. May be best for younger kids. I also wish the exhibits changed more frequently."
  - katiebug_1530
• August 19, 2013
  "We're a little less enthusiastic about this museum. I like it and want to love it, but never quite delivers what we're looking for somehow, other than one of the few indoor activities available in the area on a rainy day. That being said, it's fine, but never as great as we hope somehow. Hard to put my finger on it - maybe it's just a little lacking in focus and the hands-on activities never seem quite engaging for my kids."
  - Mischka1628
• July 27, 2013
  "My children love Echo camps. We have done vacation camps and summer camps. This year my two sons and my nephew attended the Mindcraft camp. This was a cross between technology and the science behind the game (from my understanding). The boys spent time understanding the game from a tech point of view, did some crafts that involved pixels and cels, went on two field trips - including one to Champlain College where they learned about what it takes to make a video game. At the end of every day, all three expressed how much they enjoyed the day. And, all three hope that they offer the camp again next year!"
  - NicoleVT
• February 4, 2013
  "Wonderful place to go for hands on activities; they also have new exhibits all the time. Beautiful location on Lake Champlain."
  - palaflamme@hotmail.com
• February 1, 2013
  "I had a wonderful time at the ECHO center and my 3 year old did as well. The ONLY reason I'm not giving this is that it is too expensive for us to go as much as we want. A great solution would be a membership, which is also a bit pricey for us at this time. Perhaps when my children are older it will be a more viable option. But one of the great things about winter is that ECHO participates in a lot of the festivals and that includes reduced admission fees. We are always on the look out for those. The education centers and play area there are superb, I just wish it wasn't so pricey."
  - naturlvr
• January 28, 2013
  "my children get bored with this place. they don't change things enough and i fell like they should have more fish tanks"
  - amarie
• January 24, 2011
  "I love ECHO! I used to bring the girls I babysat for when I was in college and now I bring my son and it is always a blast. Jack is only 14 months, so he really just gets a kick out of looking at the fish, turtles and running around in the playroom. It's great for kids of all ages. I found the new exhibit, Raise the Roof, to be very interesting and informative. Love all the hands on activities- they really promote learning in a fun, interactive way. As a bonus, we used our town library's ECHO pass so we paid just $4 for my husband and I."
  - theknapps01
• September 9, 2010
  "Great spot to take the kids when you are looking for something to do with a multi-aged group. The annual pass allows us to stop in for a quick peak or an extended visit. The pass also gives you admission to many other museums, so if you are planning a trip to Boston, for example, you can buy your Echo pass and get into the Children's Museum in Boston."
  - Crossroads
• April 15, 2010
  "Our family had a great time at the Echo Lake Aquarium. We brought our 3 year old and our 6 month old. There was plenty of room to maneuver a double stroller in the aquarium. Our 3 year old really enjoyed the touch tank and digging for dinosaur bones. We also enjoyed a snack from the Think Cafe on the terrace over looking the lake. The only complaint I have is the parking. We went mid summer and the water front was very busy, we had to park a couple of blocks away at a meter. The double stroller came in very handy."
  - Hannah B
• March 5, 2010
  "ECHO is a great place to take kids of all ages. For the younger ones, the playroom is a big draw, as well as the large water play area, but there are plenty of things for the older children to explore, both permanent exhibits and also the changing exhibit on the first floor. We used to buy a membership when my kids were 5 and under, but it isn't that large a place and they really only wanted to see the new exhibits when they were older. It is a little pricey in my mind, but there are often coupons in local papers and many of the local libraries have a pass that you can borrow for free with your library card."
  - harveycoutrayer
• March 5, 2010
  "Great time for my 3 (almost 4) year old. He always heads straight for the water table!"
  - KateW
• March 5, 2010
  "Really great experience for the kids and adults too! An excellent place to go when the weather is yucky and the kids need to get out!"
  - rexrufus
• March 3, 2010
  "daughter loves going to echo. definitely get the annual family pass.we love to drop by whenever we like and look at the same displays again and again, and she will go there anytime to play and visit the gift shop. dont mind paying for parking at all when i know she will have a great time there and then have access to lake activities as well."
  - eohmom
• April 19, 2009
  "I brought my year old daughter and her 5 year old sister ot Echo and had a great time. It was my first time there, but the girls had already been on a few occassions. There were plenty of hands-on learning activities to keep the girls thoroughly engaged for the two hours that it took us to see everything. The 'under water room' is an amazing feature that even impressed me. I am looking forward to returning to the museum to bring my 2 year old since there is also plenty for him to see and explore. The museum also had a number of workshops going on that we didn't get to, but would love to on our next visit. Also, the views of the lake are amazing!"
  - VTMom
• January 4, 2009
  "This is just a great place to take your kids. There are fun interactive exhibits, and a great playroom with a nautical theme. In my opinion it is best suited for the 3-6 year olds."
  - charlottemom
• November 5, 2008
  "Great downtown location with something for everyone. If you are looking to spend a few hours with your own kids or want to educate out of town guests about our Lake Champlain Basin, ECHO is good indoor day crowd-pleaser. From the water table to the weather station kids love the hands-on activities. Downstairs there is a changing exhibit room that always has something cool, yet educational. Even the cafe teaches kids about being green and how to recycle. Be sure to check the calendar, they always have story times, science crafts and more going on."
  - missmagpie
• September 3, 2008
  "We buy an ECHO family pass every year so we can drop in any time. Besides the excellent permanent collections, ECHO also features a new temporary exhibit every few months. Most activities are hands-on and all are family friendly. Two years ago, I couldn't drag my son away from the painting with shaving cream activity. He played for hours. The ECHO conference room is great for company retreats and the terrace is a lovely lakely spot for larger events."
  - taragl
• March 21, 2008
  "The hand's on and interactive exhibits are great for kids...keeps them active and engaged. This is really a great place for all members of the family. Lots of things to do and learn about our lake and region. I need to remember that they have new exhibits and visit the center more often."
  - ceb
• March 7, 2008
  "Excellent place to go on a rainy day and to especially take the kiddos. Great educational and hands-on museum!"
  - wallabear

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