Clay Center Reviews

Beautiful building, love that charleston has something so new with so much to offer. This is a great spot for weddings and events, and the symphony is top notch!

the clay is awesome, convenient location, just saw blue man group preform, show was great, acoustics perfect, the preformance hall seats approx 1000 and there are no bad seats in the house

We went on an Easter Sunday Ricky Skaggs with Kentucky Thunder concert. I was in college and had to critique a show for a class project. The Clay Center is engineered so precise that the musicians record there for the quality of sound. If you get a chance to see a show there, DO IT!!! It is worth it.

No visit to Charleston, WV is complete without a visit to the most beautiful venue in town. Take in a show, concert, movie, or visit the art museum or hands on kids area. So much to do and see

I am originally from Charleston and still have family there. We always make a visit to the Clay Center when we're in town. My 4 year old son loves it there! Our recent visit over Christmas was his favorite yet. The addition of the little town exhibit is perfect! We spent the majority of our time in there and only left because it was time to close. There is a fire truck, diner, grocery story, bank, theater, etc. I love this exhibit and hope it stays!
The Clay Center also has an art gallery on the top floor for the art lovers. There is a cafe on the bottom floor that serves snacks (salads, wraps, etc.) and drinks. The main floor has a play area with ball pit for kids and more. You can spend several hours there with kids and never get bored!
We love the Clay Center! It's also a very special place for my husband and I as we got married in the Benedum Grand Lobby.

Out family of 6 (4 kids from 7 -13) has visited a number of hands on museums. This was one of if not the best ever. When you factor in the affordable price and limited number of guests right now, it is a clear choice for our favorite. Advanced online ticket purchase is required but that is becoming the norm now. The different areas all look brand new still, the Waterworks room was run. There is a great science room with fun activities for ALL ages. The lower level town is by far the best I have seen. Everything is so detailed and realistic. Earn money through tasks and save it on you ATM card then spend that money on games or groceries in the store. This kids loved the 2 story climber as well. Everything was so well done. We ended with an amazing imax movie in the planetarium, so cool.

Attended a conference who had a banquet in the Clay Center. After they opened the museum. Sorry but modern art is not my thing. I do not want to read a sign to know what I am looking at.

I attended a day long workshop that was offered in the gallery. The variety of Art in the gallery collection is impressive and diverse. The staff was so pleasant and receptive. So exciting to hear that their plans are to host more community events to expand the visual arts in our community.

I recently saw the musical group Kansas at the Clay Center. First of all, let me say that the group still rocks. With a few new members, the group is poised to continue their brand of progressive rock music, for many years to come.

Now, the venue. The Clay Center has wonderful acoustics for musical events. They host everything from orchestral and Celtic to Rock and pop music. Except for the box seats on the sides of the hall, I would have to say that there's hardly a bad seat in the house. I have attended concerts put on by the WV Symphony, Prairie Home Companion, Bella Fleck, Pat Benetar, Three Dog Night, various jazz groups, Celtic bands, and many more. You get the idea.

The Clay Center is very modern and well maintained. The staff and ushers are always very helpful and respectful to their customers. The CC is one of the main centers of culture and enrichment in Charleston, WV.

The Clay Center is a must see, with its 240,000-square-foot facility dedicated to promoting performing arts, visual arts, and the sciences. All three being housed under one roof makes it one of the few of its kind in the United States. And, if you haven't been to the Avampato Discovery Museum and the Electric Sky Theatre, stop what you're doing right now and go. They're incredible!!!!!

See you there.

Visited Clay Center with family and one-year old. We all enjoyed the creativity of the Center for children as well as adults.

One of the best attractions in Charleston, WV. Entertainment is always available for all age groups. Have seen many performers here and the setting is so comfortable. Love the black marble.

So many things to report a movie theater they show top name artists-the museum of paintings, history and interactive sturdio and several exciting things for chldren

Excellent learning in science, maths, arts. There are multiple exhibits, science galleries, performances. Love the ElectricSky theater, you just sit back in the comfy seats and feel as though you are actually there in the films which are presented on a giant domed screen. Love the planetarium shows. Adults, children, educators, there is something for everyone here.

A beautiful building with exhibits for every age. The concert hall is amazing with great acoustics. The stage is easily seen from every seat.

I had not been to the Clay Center since I was in school myself. They have taken out all the things that I enjoyed. Our group couldn't get tickets for a show so we were done with the exhibits in an hour. My four year old was bored within 30 minutes.

Went to an afternoon matinee of the movie showing of The Wizard of Oz with the WV Symphony playing all the music. Magical! Chillbumps as soon as the music started. Great idea! Maybe Sound of Music or Music Man next time?! :)
As for the Clay Center itself, lots to see and do before any performance. Lots of "hands on" activities. My 21 yr old daughter and I stood and watched the huge marble track machine (or whatever it is called) for about 15 minutes. Mesmerizing! Also the huge and gorgeous Grand Hall Lobby in front of the theatre. Just beautiful!

The Clay Center is an amazing place to visit. The museum is great and they have a lot of great shows to see. I have went to several Broadway shows there and have attended many functions. Wonderful place and great staff.

We love the Clay Center and go there frequently. The inside is beautiful (including the restrooms). The children's area is wonderful. The productions (music, drama etc) are easily heard because of the good acoustics.

I took my grandchildren here several years ago and we all enjoyed the science center and experiments and observatory. But they have taken it from a school age science center to a preschool exploratory center. It's a great place for preschoolers but my elementary age grandchildren were bored. The one bright spot for them was the 3 story climbing wall. So yes for preschoolers but no for anyone interested in real science.

Clay Center Children’s Museum-First off, have to say they have great exhibits and a great layout of hands-on learning and play areas. And the layout is important if you have young energetic children with you. The play areas are centered together with one main area of access, so if your child goes running off to an exhibit, which you think won’t happen to you, but it will- your child is safely in a group of exhibits and has to come through that main area to exit. I really appreciated that aspect of the center because I felt that I could see or find the child easily. Hope this is helpful info to someone. The exhibits themselves were all very interesting and children in all of them were enjoying their experience. Also strategically placed seats for parents to rest or observe from. Definitely recommend the Clay Center for a day of learning and fun. (Also there is a concession stand and area for drinks and snacks.) I’ve been to another children’s museum before but I liked this one because the layout design felt safer and less chaotic, as was the general atmosphere.

Special exhibits are done well, although would like to see more in-depth productions. The art floor is spacious. The lower level is a hit for kids to try many hands-on things. That area is probably the highlight. The section that relates mostly to WV is done in a fun way with hands-on exhibits also. The gift shop is nice. The restrooms are clean. The employees are very nice.

The kids loved this place. The ball area, water area and the spooky game room. Only thing I would suggest is placing something in the large room downstairs. We were there in late March, so maybe they have placed something in the room by now. But great place!

The Clay Center offers lots of fun, interesting experiences for all ages. There is an art museum, a planetarium that offers 3D movies, children's exhibits that are interactive so kids learn as they play, a 3 story tall climbing tree, cafeteria, a black box stage area that can be converted in a number of ways to accommodate a variety of performances and a beautiful concert hall. The lobby areas can also be rented for special occasions.

fun for all ages. my son love going to the clay center. there is every thing from games and hands on activites to art galleries. the movies can be a little boring for small kids but very interesting for adults. great screen and seating.

They have a lot to do and what were pleasantly surprised to find such a nice museum in a road trip. The downstairs activity center was great and it was helpful to have the Rube Goldberg sculpture piece in the cafeteria to keep the kids busy while we ate. The food was good are freshly prepared by the Embassy Suites staff.

Several of the exhibits were under construction while we were there but the staff was friendly. Access from the parking lot is less than pleasant.

An amazing venue for concerts, plays etc. plus has a great "hands on" museum for children, art gallery, planetarium/movie theatre. The food is not great and overpriced. I have been to the art gallery several times and the displays are well done. My grandson loved the kid's museum (at 3 years old). I have seen many concerts in the main theatre and performed there as well as a part of a local singing group. There is also a small theatre that for more intimate performances. Festivall is a good time to visit - usually the last week in June.

A 10 year old multi million dollar facility,it has an outstanding children's science focus - hands on. A planetarium shows movies. First class theater facility and smaller theater are used for live performances. Good restaurant on lower level

I was not expecting such a fun day! We spent a little over 4 hours here and had so much fun with our daughter. Lots of hands on things for little ones to do. Definitely go upstairs to the art museum because there are additional kid things there too. Totally worth a visit.

Was a bit disappointed with the overall layout of the displays for the kids. Needs someone at each station to help the kids understand about the displays and keep area clean..The Arts Display was enjoyable it was paper Art & Quilts at the time we went.Would not go back except to see the exhibits of Art.

This place is simply incredible! A state-of-the-art performing arts space, museum, and children's museum in one! I am probably forgetting some other aspect because it was so all encompassing. I was entertained the entire time I was there. It definitely has something to offer young adults, families, teenagers, older adults - everyone! I was very impressed.

We went to see the place one evening on our visit to Charleston and we found out that there were a Country music concert for free so we stayed and enjoyed it. You Must see the Clay center is a beatiful place.

Was there for a special program. CORA had a special program for the families,of doners. I was,asked to attend with family if my dear friend who passed last year. I was very impressed with,the,clay center. Very nice. Very pretty place. Lots of things to do for both adults and kids as well as teens

There were more workers than visitors the day after Thanksgiving when they had clearly prepared for an onslaught of guests to see Santa, etc. Many of the mechanical things were out of order. The emptiness of the place was a bit depressing. A+ for effort, staff. My 2 1/2 year old grandchild was happy enough but preferred the play area at the local mall.

At first it's really cool, but after a few visits it gets kind of boring I guess. Also, one time I payed to go to a Kanawha county schools orchestra event, and for some reason there was something that the staff called a "scheduled power outage", which caused the musicians to have to play in the lobby, with about 800 other people crowded in there. Also, people who were giving instructions were extremely rude. I guess this experience really impacted my review. Luckily, they apologized and issues refunds, so I guess that counts for something.

We go to the Clay Center often for many varied activities. Our Symphony plays in the auditorium and we were in attendance this past Saturday evening. Great food quality and service is provided by the Embassy Suites. The Center also provides a great stage for plays and entertainment passing through our city on regular schedules. In addition, there are many rooms for children to interact with interesting science not normally found elsewhere. There is also a special theater and so many things to do and be a part of in this extremely interesting facility. If you are planning on a trip to Chaleston, with or without family, you must plan a visit here. Check out the web site for all the detail.

Clay center offers space for concerts/ presentations but also has a great hands on learning museum experience. First there are things to for all ages and almost everything is able to be touched by young curious hands. It truly is a lot of fun for everyone and u get to try everything so kids are learning but they don't know it. It's great when the weather is bad and u want to get out of the house. Check before u go because the hours are strange. Concerts and shows are priced high but the museum part is reasonable and they have a cafe for food/drink.

I have only gone to the Clay center for Concerts or Theater. In that respect it is a well laid out Center. parking in challenging at times thou.

We love the Clay Center! The children's museum is a wonderful addition to the Charleston community. I gave 4/5 stars because wheelchair accessibility could be far better.

Not only is the building itself impressive, so is the performing arts theatre, the art gallery, and all the science centers. Much of the center is devoted to the joy and learning of children of all ages. The science galleries are interactive and children are encouraged to touch. The Electric Sky theatre shows overhead movies that are thrilling. Beautifully clean and maintained.

Very Small and Way Over Priced!! The activities are limited which makes a short visit. They need to offer more to keep the kids entertained.

We had not visited the Clay Center museums for a few years. The main floor and lower level science exhibits had been largely redone, and proved fun and educational for us. WE will come back with grand children soon. The art gallery upstairs had several intriguing pieces, in substance and on video, of work created based on the artists;s intentionally imprecise instructions.

Very interactive, love the water features. Changing exhibits, so it's fun to go to more than once. Great place for kids.

Great Place for ALL Ages! Lots of Fun! They always have something new & exciting going on. Staff is wonderful!

This is an impressive space to entertain children on a rainy day, but adults will enjoy it as well. It is clean and uncrowded and has a large amount of staff to assist.

First off if this was crowded in any way I cannot see it being a pleaser. We went and there was only one other family. Not long after a small school class came. We were the only one in the planetarium. The magic tree house was not bad, but I thought it would be more educational of the stars and planets. Most of it was showing the kids searching on the internet. However, for the 7 and 9 year old it was a nice. The water area was ok for little toddlers. It was neat how they have the balls going up and traveling to a tornado water area. But after a few times it will lose the interest of older kids. The music area was ok again if very many others this area will be overcrowded and unusable soon. The craft area was one we were looking forward to. However, not being very creative we were at a loss of what to make with all the items there. They had little sheets that gave you ideas. But again with no creativity ourselves it was a bust. They girl in the room was little help.the best was the little town. However, the fact that many things were not working, like the registers in the store and the scale or scanner in the clinic it was disappointing. More disappointing was children are allowed to run wild and nothing was in its place. Finally you have a card that you are supposed to complete tasks at each location, which we did, then the ATM you inset your code. However the questions that were asked had nothing to do with the tasks we were told to complete. So many questions were answered wrong, unless you wanted to run to ATM find out question run back to that area and find the answer then go back to the ATM it is useless to try and complete. The one thing the loved the most was top floor they had two screens you could draw on. They stayed there the longes being we were the only ones there. Again if it was busy this would not have been able to be done. Overall because we were many times by ourselves it made this place nice. However, I would never travel as we had done do a long distance to visit.

There is a kids section to the museum. A large kids section....downstairs. However, the upstairs of the museum hosts various art displays, historical displays, etc. It is a wonderful place. The auditorium hosts various performing troupes, and is a great place to get you "culture fix." True, it is smaller than venues in larger cities, but you have to keep in mind the size of Charleston as a city. It is nicely proportioned to the population density of the town...as well to the number of people in the area who appreciate the arts. I recommend place this to anyone. My wife and I enjoyed a production of Les Miserables by the Charleston Light Opera Guild this past weekend. Aside from some minor issues with the sound system, the performance was excellent. The talent was comparable to some of the finest performances I have seen.

This is a beautiful museum! It is an amazing facility. Kids love this place and learn a lot about science. It is a must go place if you are in Charleston!

Have been to the main auditorium at least 50 times. Great variety of live performances- from the Pointer Sisters to Harlem Boys Choir to kathy Griffin and so on. Known for its superior acoustics, the clay center offers most everyone some thing. Can be a bit pricey, but it is wv and the performers need some incentive to stop in.

Travis put on a wonderful acoustic performance. Clay Center has very comfortable seats. Not a bad seat in the whole place. Would definitely go there again.

The Clay Center has lots of cool things to do for kids. Kids can learn about body parts, our planet, and more. Also, the planetarium show was amazing. The art gallery had really cool paintings and Math+Art puzzles for kids. I definitely
recommend The Clay Center to families who are visiting Charleston, WV.

Thomas the train was very interactive for children of all ages. Enjoyed all of clay center. Parking was another thing. Confusing payment procedure and not the best parking.

The family stopped at the Clay Center after visiting the Capitol building. It was good, but not great. The area for small children was small, and not much for interaction outside of the ball pit. My 7 and 13 year old were very disappointed in the STEAM area downstairs. I'm not sure if they had parts closed, but not much of anything to do. There were a few nice interactive displays, but the overall feel just lacked something else to stimulate the mind.

We bought season tickets a couple times. This is a first class performance center. They have everything from CATS to Stomp. If there is something happening, and you can get tickets, jump at it. You will enjoy the evening.

My boys love this place. So many things to keep their minds busy and thier imagination soaring. I definitely recommend this place.

Great place for children. science, hands on activities, planetarium, 3D movies and much more. Grandkids enjoy so much hard to get them to leave.

Have gone to several exhibits there, always of interest, and a good space to bring the grandkids!

Some friends and I went here in November to watch Air Supply in concert! The facility is BEAUTIFUL! Very clean and accomodating. We loved it--if there are any other good concerts, I would definitely go back!

The Vince Gill show was amazing as he always is however the Clay Center Staff are more rude today than ever. A horrible experience. I attempted to take a NO FLASH STILL FRAME picture, one of the ushers ran to my seat and flashed her bright flashlight in my face like an anxious cop. The lady beside me was doing exactly the same and she too wash flashed and we both received a berating and finger-shaking as if we were unruly children. We put up our cameras trying to abide her attack. As we sat there looking around throughout the entire show 1/2 or more of the audience was videoing the entire performance with cell phones and video cameras. As I went to the restroom I let her know how rude she was and asked why she was saying nothing to those around her who were clearly, blatantly filming the performance. I and the lady beside me was embarrassed and felt harassed. The rude behavior continued with the guy who said he was the "promoter", some of us won back stage meet and greet passes - the man did not learn etiquette, manners nor how to smile - he certainly did not leave a positive impression on any of the attendees. He berated 2 men for daring to get a bottle of water in the lounge area when everyone knew the band was not going to take leftovers. It is a shame that the Clay Center cannot afford a bottle of water especially with the prices they charge. The experience was distasteful and offensive to many of us and it was discussed by those in attendance. Our experience was NO pictures, NO autographs and we were pretty much herded along like cows for butcher. So we left the Clay center with NO remembrances - I as did many purchased expensive shirts and CDs for the meet and greet only to be blocked. What a gift for Mother's Day - nothing to remember the show or the encounter with Vince Gill. The excitement was diminished. I and so many others were shocked at the rude treatment, the berating by the staff, etc. I have met presidents, governors and many actors/musicians/singers and I have never encountered such verbal and physical restrictions. I always thought Vince Gill was down to earth but my experience on Mothers Day was not that. My past experiences with The Clay Center has slowly over a period of time diminished due to the increasing rudeness and difficult staff that I have stopped my membership and stopped purchasing tickets. This particular evening was a gift for Mothers Day - I endured a flashlight in my face, a berating from a rude and ill informed volunteer usher, reprimands and warnings from the promoter, and NOTHING to remember the event. Very sad and negative experience. I recommend searching a schedule to find the same event at another venue - maybe you can have water and take a picture without being attacked and threatened. I will never attend another event at the clay center. I would post photos for this review but I WAS NOT PERMITTED TO TAKE ANY!!

The Clay Center is a beautiful concert venue. It is the home of the West Virginia Symphony orchestra and also hosts many other concerts.

There are five main reasons to find yourself at the Clay Center and five different reviews depending.

1. The 360 Theater/Planetarium: Fun for kids and adults (though it can give you a massive crick in the neck) and so far as I know the only one in the state. Fairly comfortable seats, not too bad prices, and a great image. Great for astronomy buffs.

2. The (actual) Theater and events there-in: kind of small, but very classy for Charleston. It's nice for showing of smaller orchestral things, theatre, that sort of thing, but they periodically overstep their size and try out larger events like Cirque de Soleil and other very physical events and then it just seems ridiculous. It's also very, very pricey.

3. Events: They do have entertainment spaces for weddings, meetings, and other such events (frequently after one of their theater performances) I've heard nothing bad, but nothing exceptionally good, either.

4. Their art gallery: unremarkable. Nothing of any particular note has ever come through. It's nice to walk through and look, but it feels like you should be seeing something of real impact to have paid so much to get in.

5. Their "Discovery Center" (Finally, something for the kids!): Unlike Sunrise, which they replaced, the Clay Center has not put much money into keeping up their attractions for the kids and a lot of the interactive exhibits are falling apart now. Kids still seem to enjoy it, but expect a few things that don't work, and more things that don't work like they should.

Quite a good planetarium. If you are into stars this is a first class venu. First quality seating, projectors and sound system!

This is a beautiful arts center. There is a very large children's museum - good for children 3-12. There is also an art museum and an IMAX & other theaters. If you love art &/or have young children, you should check it out.

The variety of concerts and performers they have gotten in recent years has really improved. Seating is comfortable and sound in the auditorium is great. I look forward to going to the shows in the sky theater.

They charge too much for admission. We wanted to watch the space movie about the shuttle in the dome theater but it wasn't digital it was like a projector on the dome- kinda fuzzy and outdated looking. I guess it's good for young kids

Must have come at the right time, a Wednesday afternoon. Wasn’t too crowded and my 9 year played till closing. Spent 2 hours there and easily could have stayed there longer but they were closing. Not sure how much learning or science is going on but my lil one loved the section where you can pretend to do jobs like a vet, auto mechanic or fireman. Might be crowded on the weekend but midweek afternoon was great.

The Clay Center is a wonderful venue for the arts in Charleston. The seating in the main auditorium is very comfortable and the acoustics is excellent. A good variety of performances are held there throughout the year. The Electricsky and sciences galleries will delight the children.

Wonderful museum with so much to offer - lots for younger children, and teens. Planetarium shows, space exhibit, physical tests, musical instruments, sculpture garden, and HUGE 3-story climbing structure. Cafe also.

I'm used to attending performances at Pittsburgh Benedum Center and WVU's Lyle B. Clay theater which seem to hold a few thousand people. I wasn't prepared for the more intimate concert theater at the Clay Center where I attended a performance by Diana Ross. I had a choice of seeing her at the cavernous Benedum Center or the Clay Center. I choose the Clay Center because it was a two hour drive from my home town compared to three to Pittsburgh. Unlike the Benedum Center which has one long balcony which stretches upward towards the roof of the auditorium and is divided into a Director's Circle, First Balcony and Second Balcony, the Clay Center has two distinct balconies, one directly above the other. I was as close in the first row of the second balcony as anyone in the first row of the first balcony. With the theater being so small, I can't imagine that there are any truly bad seats in the hall. Should I have a choice between attending the same performance in Pittsburgh or Charleston again, I would definitely consider Charleston.

Really nice venue. Frequently offers performances that appeal to "a child of the 60s" like myself.
Concession stand prices are unnecessarily high.

We actually stopped here to plug coordinates into our GPS. We did enjoy the outdoor artwork, and were definitely curious what awaited inside. We'd like to go back when we had more time to explore!

If you are visiting Charleston, taking a morning or afternoon to go to the Clay Center; it will be worth your time. The facility is new, clean, and modern. They have a very nice (but small) museum and a big interactive area for the kids. The IMAX and planetarium were both very enjoyable (although a separate fee for both). Parking is easy and convenient. I also really enjoyed their gift shop. They have items for a wide range of interests. Plus, Sushi Atlantic is right down the street! When I lived in WV, we always took guests to see either the museum, IMAX, or a show and it was well received by all of our guests.

Great Children’s Museum. We loved it until we were over taken by a large group called Kinder Kamp that raced the shopping carts downs the walkways, threw everything in the mechanic’s shop and basically ran over every small child in their way while the adult supervisors were on their phones. We had to take our 4 year old home, and we live an hour away. I know that isn’t the responsibility of the museum, but it ruined our visit.

We have seen a lot of great shows here, but never buy tickets for the balcony. You will encounter people that are drunk, yelling, and who smell really bad. The staff will try to calm them but they should make them leave. They also need to bring in more popular singing groups from the 50's-present. They have been bringing in such groups several times a year, but it is usually last minute and not on the original season line up.

The Clay Center hosts some wonderful events to entertain everyone. They also have a science museum which is very fun and entertaining for kids and adults. We had a wonderful time going from thing to thing playing like we were children again!

There is new management at the Clay Center - someone who has experience in children's museums and he has brought his experience to create new exhibits in Charleston. There is a climbing staircase going up 3 flights and enclosed with nets so this kids don't fall out. Boys and girls can try out fire fighting equipment while pretending to put out fires and pretend to ride a motorcycle like policemen (or women). They can also pretend to be shopkeepers or health care providers. Upstairs, there is a first-class art museum. Great place!!

This museum is good enough to go, but it was an average science center. The planetarium seemed to not have any shows on stars, instead they are basic movies. We parked for free just outside of it and if it wasn't for the movie screen and planetarium we would've gone through this museum in an hour.

The art center part of it was pretty bad. I don't think this is good for even an art junky.

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer was done in superb fashion!!! The characters were all in form and you would think that Burl Ives was narrating the show!!! Each character came to life in this show that was tastefully done for the entire family!!!! There was even an appearance from that Jolly old Elf himself!!!

We went thinking there would be more and was very disappointed, it was expensive and nothing really to do, the play area's were more for older children and not much for three and under. Highly over rated.

Ernie Haase and Signature Sound were in concert there about two years ago and it was fantastic. The Clay Center would do well to have them back!

The Clay Center is a great place to spend the day with your family. Tons of things to do with your children and you might just learn something while your there.

.....…I was rather struck by the fact that it appeared to have an art museum attached – the Juliet Art Museum, so I ventured in and this is what I found: a large, 2nd floor open-plan gallery, with quite an extensive hang of themed paintings – people, places and so on - and amongst the usual dreary dross there are some wonderful treasures. These include one of the earliest portraits known to have been painted in America, one of only two dozen colonial works to have survived. It is actually quite good for the time and place, is a gem and worth seeing. They have a good Nathaniel Hone, a founder member of London’s Royal Academy, of a portrait of the lawyer Charles Lossett. Of their later things they have a truly beautiful and atmospheric watercolour by John Singer Sargent of pine woods and though it is easy to be disparaging about any local art museum’s home collection, the work of West Virginian artist Barry Vance is very fine – plein air painting in the Impressionist tradition, landed in the local hills and mountains.

Incidentally, the two tavern scenes are nothing to do with Dutch 17thC art, but are 19thC copies after the Flemish artist David Teniers the Younger – just so you know.

Altogether a real gem and worth a detour.

A very nice facility that offers not only fine art but many interactive displays for the family. Also has a 360 degree theater that is awesome and an auditorium that offer great entertainment. Visitor will not be disppointed in the least.

Went there Saturday night to the acountry Western rendition. Great performance and a fun time with friends we have not seen in years.
Thanks Charleston!

Excellent venue for both children and adults. The science museums are great for children and the Art Gallery, theatre and concerts provide entertainment for adults.

we thoroughly enjoyed the performance shen yun...the costumes, orchestra and dance were stellar...however, we were somewhat dismayed of the lack of seating in the lobby area...due to poor parking, several patrons arrived early...they didn't open the "house" until 7pm...that left about 100 plus elderly people standing w/no place to rest...hopefully, they have plans to rectify this in the future...otherwise, it is a marvelous facility...

This Center offers a children's science and life skills museum, Joey Art Museum, sculpture park, and a performsnce Center.
The science museum offers hands on activities for Kids of all ages from making a Project with story boards, making your own short movie of video clips, an incredible water activity, and more
The Juliet Art Museum focused on fiber, ceramic, wood, and fiber works of local artists with a Picasso connection and another small sculpture park

What a great center!
Accessible entry to venue and to sculpture park with touch pad access and accessible restrooms
Free accessible parking in private lot

My children, boys ages 9 and 11, and I were in Charleston while my husband was attending a seminar,so we visited the Clay Center. Even though the clerk at the front was less than friendly, the rest of the staff were very accommodating. We loved the Earth City and gizmo galleries and had fun in the Health Royale show. We wish there had been more interactive sections of the museum. The planetarium show and dinosaur film were good and we enjoyed the small art gallery. All in all, the museum took about 4 and a half hours to go through, including the planetarium show and movie. Food at the cafe was good as well.

I took my 8 year-old niece here on her Spring Break in 2016, and she asked to return this year, which we did, in March 2017. When an 8 year requests to return somewhere, that doesn't involve spending a fortune or riding a ride, you know it's a keeper. There are lots of hands on activities for children. We didn't attend an event either time. We just spent quality afternoon time there. I enjoyed watching her use her imagination, as she was also learning and asking questions about their displays and educational devices. One of the best ways to spend an afternoon with a child.

Beautiful building with good acoustics for music or dining. A welcome addition to our city and a great venue for cultural activities.

nice musuem with there was more hands on exhibints like cosi to do. This is an adequate place for a small town but could be much better. We still enjoyed the trip even though you have to pay 3.00 to park about a block away

This is a magical place to take children. The my town is a place they could spend hours learning different jobs through play.

The Clay center offers something for everyone. Downstairs, there is a hands-on area for kids, and kids LOVE IT! For grown ups there is everything from an art gallery to Broadway Musicals and musicians. Highly recommended!

As with many so called museum and entertainment venues this too has become over priced. My children enjoyed annual membership for some time however it became to expensive. The concerts are generally over priced with the local big shots getting the prime tickets. No food/drink is permitted in the concert area. The childrens section is hands on interactive with much to do. The museum is mismanaged to a ridiculous point, so much could be done and so many events could be orchestrated but there isn't much creativity to be had. Could be a great place with some better management and better pricing. There is a planetarium with movies as well. Plan to spend the day to maximize your cost.

Family friendly and fun. Something for all ages. Great imax movies. A little pricey with admission and food. Would like to see more geared towards teens.

This is a great cultural place in Charleston, WV. Many great activities and functions are put on here, as well as concerts.

My school recently went to the Clay Center for a field trip. They were organized and had all of our schedules printed and ready to go. They had a staff member with each grade level to escort us from each activity. I love all the new updates. The Juliet Art museum has a new Leonardo Devinci theme and it was very good. Our tour guide was very informative and kept the kids attention. I've been to the many times but always look forward to going back.

The Clay Center is an awesome visit and a must-see for everyone! They have an awesome theater, an awesome symphony, and a great place for children to learn and explore!

We went to a concert with ZZ Top as the headliner. Concert was great. The venue was clean, there was plenty of help available to help guide us to our seats. There were several seats left empty at the ends of the rows in the 2nd balcony, left that way because they had a partially blocked view of the stage.

WOW!! This is a "top shelf' venue for ANY stage production! West Virginia is fortunate, indeed, to have such a quality facility for our use and our enjoyment! Truly, it shouts to the visiting performance troupes that WE ARE capable of, and, indeed, expect only the very best!

We had an 8, 5, & 2 year old. The kids spent hours playing with all of the hands on activities. We stayed at the Embassy Suites- they offered a discounted package that is a great deal. We also had lunch in the cafeteria. The food was good and the staff was great. Get the combo meal- best value.

We were meeting family in Charleston for a gymnastics event and had a day to explore. The exhibits were amazing and engaged everyone in our family from the 2 year old to the 75 year old! Plan on a couple of hours at least to see everything. Restrooms were clean, the food at the cafe was affordable and tasty. Definitely planning a return visit on our way through in the future!

The performance hall is beautiful. The staff is very friendly and this is a nice place to visit.

The Clay Center had an excellent Easter event with an egg hunt and pics with the bunny. I hadn’t been in there for years, but took my 3 year old and 10 year old. They had a blast. There are several things to see and learn within that age group. I do have to say there wouldn’t be much to do for kids any older than that though.

I have been to the Clay Center for numerous reasons. I have attended events in the concert hall which I thoroughly enjoyed. The sound and lights are always wonderful. The seats are comfortable and elevated just enough where you're not staring at the person's head in front of you. I also have gone to the museum side and they are always changing exhibits and creating new fun Interactive areas that are fun for all ages. I'm so thankful that we have such a place in our state. Now pricing for events varies. Some I feel are very well priced and others overpriced but that depends on the show or tors not necessarily reflection on the venue. The staff is always been friendly and courteous and very helpful. We will continue to attend event and take advantage of the museum more.

If you’re looking for something great to do with young children, look no more. There’s plenty to fill your afternoon and stimulate young minds at the Clay Center.

Really not enough for adults. The planetarium was closed while we were there. We did attend a concert at the Maier Hall in the evening that was pretty good.

We've been members at the Clay Center on and off for the last few years, and my 5 year old absolutely loves it, calling it the "play center." The main floor and lower level have a ton of things for kids to check out and play with, learning along the way. The food and drinks in the lower level are overpriced, but it is a museum rather than a restaurant. We've held 2 birthday parties here in the downstairs classrooms, and all of the kids have loved playing in the exhibits after the main part of the party is finished. Unfortunately, the set up time for parties is limited, and you cannot have balloons or candles, normal party staples. You are required to purchase food from the Clay Center's catering service, which is through Embassy Suites, and the pizza isn't to everyone's liking.

We haven't been to the upstairs art gallery much since we typically go there with kids, but it is nice, as well.

We've attended several performances in the theater, sitting in either a friend's box or the on the first level. The first level seats are a little cramped, but the view from anywhere in the theater is great. There is a mix of local group performances to big name performers, so it is always worth checking the schedule. I wish some of the kid-friendly performances would start a bit earlier though, as they often start around 7:30 pm.

It's rather expensive considering there is not much to do. I went through the whole place in under two hours. If I was traveling I would rather go to COSI in Columbus, OH. They have an art gallery but it was horrible, worst gallery I've ever seen in my life. There is a nice art gallery in Huntington, WV about 45 mins away.

If you need a place to take the kids while visiting Charleston, take them to the Clay Center. While we did not have any kids with us, we enjoyed watching the school children there on their end of school year field trip. There were many hands on exhibits but our favorite was the small town they had set up on the bottom floor. Built like a small city, it had a fire station with a fire truck, a veterinarian office with exam tables and stuffed animals in kennels. There was a grocery store, a theater with a stage and costumes and a bank with an ATM machine. Since we had our membership card from our local nature center, we were able to get in free. They are part of a reciprocal program with AZA/ASTC. Check it out to save money at many locations.

Charlestonians can be proud to share the Clay Center with any out of area guest. It is a great place for locals, as well. The performance hall provides excellent acoustics, the exhibits are always 1st class, the play and educational area tailored for children is a great draw. The center constantly updates their amenities to provide benefit to membership. It's a great facility for gals, wedding, concerts, etc.

Great location for an intimate concert! We have seen off broadway shows here and have been very pleased

The Clay Center is an incredible facility in Charleston, WV! The performance hall is fabulous - great sound, beauty, offering many concerts, the WV Symphony, touring Broadway shoes and more. The science center is a great place for kids to explore and learn.

Great variety of performances, wonderful acoustics and sound system. Nice hands on museum for the kids.

Avoid concert series - If you are not able to afford season ticket passes, the only seats available are nose-bleed second tier balcony where binoculars are required to see and a hearing aid would definitely come in handy. TERIBLE place to watch Broadway plays! I have tried on multiple occasions to purchase tickets for shows when initially announced (as far as 6-8 months in advance; unless you are willing to purchase multiple show package for multiple events or season tickets, you are not sold available tickets in good sections even though they are not taken. Run by the elite for the elite.

We only visited the kids museum portion of this facility. We stopped to visit the kid's museum because we got free admission via reciprocity with another kid's museum. Honestly, this is a nice museum but much smaller than expected. They have a wonderful area for toddlers and kids under 5. The two other areas are fun but just limited in size. We spent about 2 hours there and had pretyy much played everything out. Much smaller than any other kid's museum we have visited. Very nice, new facility overall. There is a cafe located downstairs for food and drinks. Parking is in a surface lot on the side of the building for $3. Their website is pretty limited on information and focuses mainly on other services offered at the Clay Center.

As WV celebrates its sesquicentennial the Clay Center continues to give the community it's gifts it continues to educate, motivate and entertain with a variety of medias. It is a rare find in a small state, but a tribute to those who had the vision. Not everyone can afford to leave the state for such interesting arts and sciences, but the Clay Center brings it to them.

An okay place but way over priced for the area. The concerts are okay if you can get decent tickets after the local big dogs have scarfed the best ones for themselves. As with all venues in Charleston, the big shots in town pick thru the tickets and what is left the locals can buy. This started as a great little place but is now too expensive for its own good. The concerts DO NOT ALLOW food or drinks unless its pre-show or intermission and only in the lobby never at your seat. Was horribly harrassed during Mothers Day 1 year for taking a picture yet all around me people were videoing Vince Gill. I used a still frame camera, NO flash and was harassed by this old woman usher who was so rude. She climbed across 4 people to tell me no pictures but all 4 of the people she climbed across were videoing brazenly - I was humiliated and have never returned. Staff are unfriendly, the seats are small and the seats in the back are horrible due to the incorrect sloping of the theater.

The Clay Center is one of Charleston's high lights! It is a great venue for musicals, concerts, star gazing, and learning.

I was very pleased with this performance center! There is no bad seat in the place. And there are hotels across the street. You can just walk over & not worry about parking. It's about 3 hrs. from home for me but I will keep track of their events & make this a regular weekend trip.

The Clay Center has greatly changed since it opened 18 years ago. The science museum originally had lots of activities. Brought our 10 year old grandson and discovered much less interactive exhibits. The original science section was very good and took about 2 hours to appreciate. Today we looked through everything including the art gallery in less than an hour. Perhaps 4-5 years old would have liked it. Admission was $8 each but didn't including the movie in the planetarium ($4 extra). Parking was $3.

Attended a local charity gala here and the clay center did a great job of hosting. This was the second event like this I have attended here and every time I have enjoyed myself. The catering is done by the local embassy suites and the food is usually always good. I have also brought my kids here a couple of times for the exhibits they have and the kids always love them. This place is very multi-demensional in its abilities to host events for all ages.

We have visited this place several occaisions and each time it was
well worth the effort and the time. They reall have alot to see and do.
We have attended concerts, shows and visited the art museum.
There is also handson for the kids in the lower level by the food court.
The food was average, lil pricey depending on what you purchased.
The bathrooms have always been clean and everyone has been nice
and helpful in steering you in the right direction. We love the shows in
the Dome, It was well air conditioned and you felt like you were ther.
Must see for locals and out of towners !

I have been to The Clay Center TEN times. It is simply an amazing experience each time. I donated/bought a brick for the front walk when the place opened in 2003. An unforgettable visit for anyone. I go for the extraordinary performances at the Maier Foundation Performance Hall but I have had dinner and a show and kids and adults love the entire building. The outdoor area is beautifully created with bronze and steel statues.

Spent the day at this museum and have to say , we were there for over 4 hours and had to drag the kids out of there when it was time to leave. The museum is undergoing renovations and this was nicely told yo us, our fees were discounted because of this. There is a play village in lower level where the kids spent all of there time pretending to play. Saw film in planetarium which was very educational. Parking is bad, but there is metered parking around the museum, you will need a bunch of dimes to feed the meter. Worth a visit, we will be returning next year and will be sure to return here.

need to update and clean the displays in the children part. we called on saturday and asked about the times and if they had a snack bar, they did not tell us the snack bar was closed on sunday

The Clay center isn't all that good as people say. If you are going take an extra pair of clothes. The waterpark inside is a mess and you can't really touch anything with the exception of a few rooms. The bathrooms are always a mess and make sure you don't leave your kids alone.

Have seen both large and small shows there. The main concert hall doesn't seem to have a bad seat and the smaller Walker Theater (like a black box theater) is wonderful intimate setting. Loved watching and performing there.

Nice planetarium and they also screen movies on the dome. Great concert venue and theatre for live productions. Has an activity area with hands on science exhibits that's very kid friendly. With the price to attend any function.

The Clay Center offers an incredible variety of shows and performers. A jewel for Charleston! Even the grounds and sculptures are interesting.

This was a fun trip we took with our school group. Lots of history here and I was surprised with the high quality of the museum. It was very impressive. It's a gem for the area and will impress visitors and locals alike.

The Clay Center is outstanding for concerts and plays!! Beautiful facility and easy parking! It also has handicap parking and access. I was able to take my mom there for a concert in her late 80s.

I have been to the Clay Center for multiple different things. The Kids Museum is nice lots of hand on and fun things to do. The Main auditorium is nice clean, easy to navigate, and seat are comfortable. The only down fall to the whole place is its size. I really wish it was bigger. The kids museum you can be completely done with in about 2 hours and thats stretching it. The stage in the auditorium is so small its almost not worth paying the prices to see any show here. It's kind of a take it or leave it place for me.

A beautiful space to see concerts, Broadway shows, etc.
There are activities for all ages.
Children have a great time with the areas designed for their knowledge and fun.
Check the web site to see what is happening each month.

This is a must see if you are in Charelston. My kids had a blast and soo did we! Really great hands on exhibits for all ages. Theres a "hollywood squares" game about health that is huge and liffeel like. Also a yoddler game like on price is right. Lots of fun and educational! Theres even a planetarium and art gallery! Just a faboulus place to visit. Check it out!

Interesting, fun displays with lots of sensory experiences. Planetarium was amazing and the presenter also showed us the positions of stars etc in the sky in the part of Scotland where we had travelled from ! Had almost 5 hours there but would have liked more time. Just vending machines - no cafe; helpful staff gave us directions where to eat nearby, but we were enjoying ourselves too much to leave. A packed lunch would have good.

We made a stop after we finished visiting the capital building. Living in larger cities for 15 years I wasn't expecting much but boy did this place prove me wrong. It seemed well maintained. My 11 and 8 year old LOVED the "My Town" experience especially the ATM interaction tasks/games. The Grossology exhibit, sadly a few were out of order, was fun and hilariously informative. We also visited the art exhibit on the 3rd floor where they also had a couple hands-on teaching materials for children. Oh and the climbing tower was a big hit as well, (Read the tribute sign next to it; what a sweet tribute by the grandparents of a precious 2 year old boy). We will def be back again when we are in that neck of the woods.

Reasonably priced “hands on” exhibits for the entire family. There is something for all ages, plus a fun food court.

We attended the fun day free event and was not impressed. Most exhibits are geared toward 5y and under, didn't get to enjoy the show at the theatre cause they ran out of tickets,and they shut down the face painting line an hour and half early. I felt the Faith and the Devil" exhibit should not be in a kids museum! It depicted satanic pics and curse words everywhere, I felt it very offensive! I don't plan on returning.

We have visited multiple times with school groups. The kids don't seem to mind revisiting same exhibits, but a little tiring for parents. Nice theatre with movies changing frequently. Lots of special activities for kids throughout year. Younger children and pre school ages would like the exhibits more than older children.

My wife and I go to the Clay Center every couple months. You have a good sight line from any seat. The sound quality is outstanding. They always have plenty of ushers to show you to your seat. They bring in excellent shows and performers on a regular basis. A good variety entertainment as well. The facility is easy to access from the interstate, and has parking right across the street. There are some nice restaurants within a short distance. Some motels and a large mall within a short drive too.

During the day, the museum and science center provide a wealth of actives for the whole family. In the evening, you have concerts and performances. Check out the webpage and I bet you can find something that of interest.

We belong to the Clay Center and enjoy concerts, such as Nora Jones last night, as well taking our grandchildren to the children's parts of the museum. I am so glad that Charleston has such a good cultural scene. The Clay Center is a highlight.

Convenient, close, inexpensive parking across street from the center. We ONLY attended a concert at the center. The Maier Foundation Performance Hall is a great venue for a concert

Throughout the year, the Clay Center offers all sorts of shows, demo's and learning experiences for every and any one. I teach and we take our students on field trips for the varying events and learning activities as well as my wife and I frequent for their plays and concerts. It's a great little added spot here in the capital of WV.

Performance hall, art museum and science museum. Beautiful facility with something for the whole family. No better place to see a concert... no bad seats... the art museum hosts many great traveling shows... the children's museum is fun for everyone.

I took my children here upon their request. They had both visited the museum on field trips. We were having a pleasant time until we decided to look at the art exhibit “30 Americans”. Almost immediately, my children were confused and began asking me many questions. I told them that “art” is sometimes like this (because I didn’t want to scare them by saying some people are evil and insane - which is how I would describe this being on display in a children’s museum.) My children, 9 and 11, asked me questions like “Mommy, why is that baby peeing in that kid’s mouth?” “Mommy, why does that woman have a carrot in her behind?” - CHILDREN SHOULD NEVER SEE THIS and SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO THINK ABOUT or SEE THESE THINGS. I think whoever is in charge of allowing this art to be on display should be fired. I’ve included pictures - which makes me sick because this is basically when my children lost their innocence - seriously it makes me want to vomit sayings that. But those responsible should be help accountable.

I stopped here for the Luckey Climber. The climber was super tall and pretty. Kids had great fun with it.
The kids science part was all about "gross" body parts which was just OK, the lower level was a town square with common attractions such as grocery store, air driven tubes, and fire engine. So still interactive. Good stop, but not overly unique.

If your driving through West Virginia, stop here and take a break. The 2, 4, and 6 had fun so that is the most important part, but besides those adults thin enough to do the Climber...the adults will be just watching. That isn't bad for a road trip though. Bring your local membership card to your ASTC.org Science center and get in free!

Saw a great concert here. Seats were in the orchestra section and very comfortable. Bathrooms were clean and large. Would definitely recommend attending any event here.

The kids science museum is fairly small and limited and showing the results of poor maintenance. Everytime we've been there a lot of the exhibits have had things wrong with them. I'd invest in a trip to Cinci or Columbus instead. The theatre is nice and it's good go have one in Charleston.

The art gallery has a 3rd rate permanent collection. Again, go to Columbus, Cinci or Pittsburg instead. There have been some nice travelling exhibits.

All in all, it's say it's an overpriced mediocre facility. Better than nothing, but the kids science attraction is mostly good for school trips for kids who won't get to anything better.

We looked forward to visiting the Clay Center because we enjoy all the Sciences, Art and Music, and History and Culture. According to the reviews, this was the place to spend time if one is in the area. So we planned to spend this rainy afternoon there today but were hard pressed to find anything of interest for more than half and hour. There is very little worth seeing here if you are an adult. The young man who took our money at admissions could have told us this but could barely remove himself from the book he was reading to give us any information about the place and neither could the other two seat fillers next to him. No directions or information was offered until we asked about show times for the Planetarium which we were told was broken and would be working again sometime in the future maybe next week, after he took our entrance money, of course. The planetarium was the main reason we came in the first place. We browsed around to the Juliet Art Gallery which had some quilts on the wall and a small exhibit of elaborate sketches by Rick Ambrose which were good then wandered through the exhibits. As I said, if you are a child, there are some interesting interactive exhibits, but many are out of order. I also noticed a clock that didn’t work and a toilet that didn’t flush, so the maintenance should be upgraded. We left extremely disappointed by the experience. Frankly, it was a waste of our time and money.

I go to the Clay Center several times a year for WV Symphony performances and broadway type shows. It is the nicest place in Charleston (probably in WV) for such things. The seats are very comfortable, and the acoustics are great. It just feels like a special treat to go there. I have only been to the science area downstairs once with my grandkids, but they seem to have lots of different activities, and they change frequently. My grandkids especially liked the room full of balls, but I don't know if it is still there - think Chucky Cheese ball pit times 10 with cool things to do with them. I have not been to the planetarium, but have heard others say it is nice.

This is the premiere entertainment venue in Charleston. The kids science museum, the art museum, the large dome theater, the planetarium and the performance hall. I've experienced everything they have to offer and have always had a great time.

My first concert for ZZ Top and it was awesome! The seating at the Clay Center was great. We parked across the street from the venue. Easy ingress and egress. Highly recommend the Clay Center !

My DH and DS (7) went to the Clay Center for a Birthday party recently. Since the remodel there are 4 exhibits for children over 5. The party did not include the upstairs art exhibit or the show. My son had fun for about an hour and a half. During that time he and his friends explored all there was to see- twice. I was excited to use the photo booth downstairs to have a picture made with my DH. But the machine would not accept cash or a credit card. This was the third visit to the Clay Center in 6 years. Each time we visit I feel like there should be more to do.

My 10-year old daughter had been gifted passes for a Dr. Seuss themed concert by the WV Symphony Orchestra at the Clay Center on St. Patrick's Day. We enjoyed the concert and decided to stay and visit the Arts and Science museum. We hadn't been in a couple of years and both of us had a great time with all of the hands on activities and games. We had a tasty snack in the cafe and returned to the fun. Four hours evaporated and my girl would have happily stayed for an additional few hours.

You will think you are in a major metropolitan city, when you step inside the Clay Center to see a concert, performance or to visit the science center. The Clay center is so modern and beautiful. Kids love the science center, and the displays are kept up to date and do change from time to time. The concert auditorium is absolutely beautiful and wonderful, with great sound and stage effects. This is a must see place in Charleston, WV.

What a great venue for a concert/ choir/ band show!!
Awesome auditorium with wonderful seating and sound!
We could do but they have museum/ discovery center and whole additional part for families and cost just $9 adults and less for kids.. great bang for the buck for afternoon of fun!

We were surprised at the variety of shops & restaurants here, as well as the extensive parking facility should you be driving. We were fortunate enough to walk her from our hotel-so, yes, there are also hotels at City Center

It's a great venue for a show or to get together for a banquet. This is one of the best attractions in the city.

The Clay Center is fairly close to my home, & as a teacher, I have taken many groups of children there for field trips. They do a marvelous job of organizing stress-free trips & the students love the exhibits!
However, I had never been there as an individual until this summer. My cousin's children (6,5,&3 years of age) were visiting & this seemed like a fun day trip.
Oh my goodness! The kids had a blast! At the ticket desk, the guy told me that I could save money by getting the family pass-so kind of him-& that allowed me to get 10% off of our lunch in their cafe.
We started our day in the planetarium-enjoyed by all, but the 3year old got bored after a while. Then we visited the science galleries. There are 2 large ones, & a smaller section just for preschoolers. We had to drag the kids away for lunch.
Lunch was fabulous! The salads & sandwiches were huge & bistro quality. The staff was very accommodating & so good with the kids. We also went to the movie & saw Roar! It is in the planetarium, so we were surrounded by lions! The kids loved this! They hated to leave & so did we. We also visited the art gallery. They have a small, nice collection.
A few weeks later, our state was hit by a terrible storm. Many were without power & water for weeks. The Clay Center opened its doors to families for free so that the kids could cool off & have some fun! I thought that gesture summed up the staff. They care about kids!

Have visited this place many times over the last several years. The staff are all super friendly. The place is always super clean, no matter what function I am attending, the floors are so shiny one could eat off of them. This is a gem in the middle of Charleston.

We enjoy taking our son to the Clay Center. He runs around and has a great time. They put on great holiday themed events. They also have science activities the kids can play with. Earth City is awesome. They have a Hollywood Squares themed "game show" that is centered around health. Downstairs they have more science activities for the kids.
The toddler area is great, except they have a tunnel the kids can climb up to get to the very top. My son, who was 2 at the time, followed a couple older boys (4 or 5) up there then panicked because he could see me. The tunnel is dark with no lights and there is no way to get up there other then through the tunnel. The tunnel is no designed for adults. It was difficult, but he was able to get down. He wanted to go home after that.

Children would especially like the science center with hands-on, interactive exhibits. Plantetarium and art museum too.

Excellent intimate concert/performance venue. I have only attended for concerts, however, there are daily interactive activities that are excellent for children and people of all ages.

We went here with our four year old on a day that we all had off. We were very pleasantly surprised. There are a ton of activities amongst the various exhibits. Our daughter loved the Waterworks which is exactly what sound like. However, all of us were blown away by MyTown, which is a miniature city which allows the kids to experience different jobs and/or things including a firetruck, being a vet, working in a pediatric hospital, conducting a show at the theater either on stage or operating the special effects, being a mechanic, etc. I had once taken my daughter here years ago and the changes they have made are phenomenal. We could hardly get our kid to want to leave the place.

Most of the center is for children. Display of musicians photos was interesting. No real art - saw five paintings. No restaurant - under construction I think. Lots of things for kids which was nice to see.

Had great time at concert, good seating, nice place.

I loved the Romare Bearden exhibit. The interactive activities available to children and families throughout the museum were very engaging. As an educator I appreciated the book cubes throughout the museum that supported the subject of the exhibits or extended learning beyond what was available in the individual exhibits. There is an outdoor sculpture garden. The museum has three floors of activities and exhibits.

My husband and I took our two kids, at the time ages 5 and 1, and we had so much fun! Great for ages 1 to 13, but I'd say teenagers would not find it too exciting. They had a crime scene investigative type of game when we were there, and it was similiar to a smaller co-sci. A great quick trip for a Saturday with the family. While you are there visit the Planatraium as well. It wasn't very long, but the theatre is really neat.

My family and I have been here so many times and its super fun for everyone. This is a GREAT place to go spend an afternoon with kids!

Brand new exhibits on lower level. Kids seem automatically drawn to the twisting three story climbing sculpture. The new our town exhibit is a hands on interactive exhibit with stores, clinics, fire and police vehicles, a government building and a bank. Our young grandchildren loved it. The Juliet Art Museum is on the 2nd floor. At present an interesting exhibit of different subjects (such as portraits, landscapes, abstract, etc.) from the permanent collection. Soon an exhibit on the art of weather will open. The Clay Center is a great place to visit for a morning or an afternoon Wednesday through Sunday.

I enjoyed a couple hours at Clay Center. Interactive art displays and interactive displays in all the other areas like music, water and the body. I saw Africa movie and it was educational and exciting! Must visit while in Charleston with or without kids!

We were lucky enough to get a preview of the Clay Center's new attraction My Town. It is simply amazing & top-notch. There is so much for the kids to do we didn't even make it to all the "businesses". The kids had a blast playing on the fire truck (they can even put out a fire in a building), working in the diner taking orders and preparing "food", shopping in the grocery store while other kids worked as cashiers (there's even a mop for "clean up on aisle 2"), working on the car in the auto shop, providing care to animals in the vet's office and providing health care to baby dolls (& other kids) in the doctors office (there is even a CAT scan). The kids had a melt down when it was time to leave - that is always a sign of success. If the kids don't want to leave you know the place is a hit.

All kinds of neat Stuff Going on ! Concerts are awesome and Comedys !!

We passed through Charleston on our way home from vacation and had a few hours to fill with a toddler. We found this place and it was absolutely perfect! Our daughter is almost 2 and really enjoyed the bouncy bridge and ball area! We checked out many other cool parts of the center and then returned to the bridge and balls. She loved it here! Highly recommend for families with small children! One thing they could do better is to keep older kids out of the 5 and under area. It was a little nerve wracking when bigger kids came in and were rough housing in the ball area with my toddler and other littles in there.

I took my four and five year old little boys and they had a spectacular time. We were there for more than five hours and they were still going strong. We took part in the planetarium watching the movie on stars, the kids snoozed through most of this, but it was still nice to sit quietly for a while. They loved all the water exhibits, that explained many interesting things about WV. But the highlight of the trip were the Gizmos, which as on the bottom floor where the food was.

Tip Trip - There are lockers there, but you need a lock. If you have one, bring along so you can lock up your purse and snacks.

Tip Trip - You can order a full pizza for $15 - may be the best to do if you have several to feed.

Allow some time to explore, this is best done when you have time. Cudos for such a wonderful facility. Kids were welcome and well tolerated. Plenty of water fountains, bathrooms and people to offer suggestions and directions. We are planning to go back ASAP!

The Clay Center has multiple venues to accomodate a variety of shows - we saw the New Rope String Band in a smaller theater. The seats were comfortable fold ups with visability & sound good from any seat. I wlould expect the larger theater to be an excellent place for a show. We were just passing through and found the show, part of Festivall, online and highly recommend you check the center's web site it you plan a stopover in Charleston.

This is a great concert venue and activity center.

I attended a musical performance at the Clay Center. The center bright and clean and has a medium sized auditorium and smaller venues including some gallery space. The auditorium lobby is a large glass enclosed space which can be used as a baquet hall/multipurpose area. Parking was $3 in a street lot. There aren't many restaurants close by just a few that are several blocks away and were overwhelmed the day I was there.

We got to the museum late in the afternoon, but soon found out that it caters to children. That was a little disappointing

So many activities for the children to explore those young minds, it's a wonderful adventure for school aged children. And the center always has activities going on. Your children will love the Clay Center!

The Clay Center is a beautiful venue with great acoustics! I'm also impressed by the quality of performances you can see in the City of Charleston, WV. I've only been in town a couple of months and I've already seen a traveling Broadway show, an amazing group of performances recorded for NPR's Mountain Stage, and a quirky one-woman show hosted by WV native, Anne Magnuson.

We went there and realized it was made for children, while the exhibit was nice for adults we were done with in 30min tops. We had some children with us who had way more fun.

I believe they purchased him a yearly pass. He loves going would go every day if you let him I think. Amazing photos. Fun for all ages. A must see if you go to Charleston West Virginia .

My husband and I were looking for things to do in Charleston and we were told we should go to the Clay Center. The art gallery on the top floor was nice but the rest was geared towards kids more so than adults. We killed about an hour and a half of time but were not impressed.

I needed to entertain my two little ones while Dad was in CE, so we planned to spend the morning here. The morning quickly became the entire day, 6.5 hours to be exact. We only left because we had to pick up Dad. My three year old loved everything he could interact with, especially the tiny town. Wonderful!

My wife and I have season tickets and have attended a variety of events here. The entertainment is first rate, and the facilities are unparalleled. There is not a bad seat in the performance hall. The large format theater is exceptional, but never seems to be heavily used. The smaller performances in the back (Walker) theater are highly recommended and should be given a look. This facility is a real jewel that the people of WV should be very proud of.

The Clay Center has a lot to offer for all ages. There is an interactive science center for children, a really nice planetarium, and presents wonderful Broadway style plays and presentations. We have seen a lot of plays on Broadway but enjoy the Clay Center presentations because of how handy the facility is. It is easily reached from I-64 and I-77 and there is an abundance of eating over night facilities within close proximity. Some are within walking distance.

We have been to the Clay Center numerous times but only for concerts, shows and gorgeous weddings. This was a first with a toddler and taking him to the youth exhibits. The "My Town", "Water Works" room, Healthy Me and the Music Studio...Wow! So much to see and do for all ages! Plus a very cool climbing structure in the middle of the lobby. My Town has little stores and shops and offices...a grocery store, doctors office, diner, veterinarian office, big fire truck...and so much more! The Water Works is a big room with a couple of very cool hands on water features. We highly recommend stopping in...even if you don't have children! (it's fun to watch them)
Even though there were 3 school bus loads of kids, it really wasn't that crowded as there is so much to do...not one area was too crowded.

Live relatively close so I don't get to go often but when I was there (with a group) it was more than I expected.

The clay center had pretty interesting displays and activities for kids. The theater was also very nice. The only downside was parking is limited.

This was a good place to spend a few hours, with a lot of activities to explore and information to read. It is very easy to spend time here! We were wondering about ages and what would make sense here; our 11 y/o boy enjoyed it and took part in many of the activities; our 13 y/o girl was bored through the visit (or at least put in that appearance like 13 year old girls are apt to do).

There's adequate parking nearby; a pay lot across the street is very convenient to the Clay Center.

My family comes here occasionally! My children really enjoy it! Their favorite part of the Clay Center is the water area! As a mother with two special need toddlers, this is a great place to come to allow kids to explore and learn in a safe and fun environment! The bottom floor has things for kids to learn about shopping, cars, and different type of careers! I highly recommend this place to families!

Amazing facility for a community this size. There is a science museum, and children's museum, an art museum and a planetarium all in a very attractive building. Also a a really spectacular performance hall. Lots of good educational programs and school children programs.

This is a great place to watch concerts, there really isn't a bad seat. The types of artists that play there is a good mix. I've seen blue man group, heart, Daughtry and there has been George thoroghgood and Steve miller. My favorite seats are along the walls of the theatre, there are small balconies of maybe 4 or 6 seats, very private and roomy. Highly recommended venue.

My husband and I and another couple recently attended a live performance of Mountain Stage at the Clay Center. What a beautiful venue and the acoustics for live music was awesome! Really enjoyed the show.

In Charleston for one day, including the evening, we went to the Clay Center to hear the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra. Not only is the building impressive, but the orchestra sounds terrific! And the staff is friendly and helpful. We enjoyed walking the balconies and the "grand" staircase!! Check out the art museum, discovery museum, and planetarium too!!

I thought I was going to an art museum, but their art collection is 4 paintings. However, they have a nice chidren's museum with water, music and human body rooms. There is an amazing climbing structure as well. I enjoyed the children's displays.

Perfectly sized theater. Excellent acoustics. Doc Severson said it was one of the best venues he had ever played in. A West Virginia Jewel.