Wonder Lab: Chem Lab: Reactions
Watch chemistry come alive as bubbling, fizzing, and colorful reactions reveal the difference between physical and chemical changes. You'll make predictions, perform experiments, and discover the clues scientists use every day.
Halloween Discovery Family Fun Day presented by the City of Charleston - FREE Admission
Get ready for a scary good time at the Clay Center’s Halloween Discovery Family Fun Day! Join us for a FREE spooktacular celebration filled with Halloween festival games, creepy science experiments, hands-on art activities, and a few unexpected guests from the past.
$2 Admission for SNAP & WIC Participants
Enjoy admission to the Clay Center for just $2 per person on the first Sunday of each month with a valid SNAP or WIC card and photo ID.
Early Explorers - The Ant and the Elephant by Bill Peet
Early Explorers invites our youngest Explorers to discover the world through stories, music, play, and hands-on activities!
Early Explorers - The Ant and the Elephant by Bill Peet
Early Explorers invites our youngest Explorers to discover the world through stories, music, play, and hands-on activities!
Wonder Lab: Extreme Art Challenges
Can you create amazing art under unusual conditions? Put your creativity to the test with fun engineering-inspired art challenges that encourage problem-solving, experimentation, and imagination.
Discovery Day Camp: Mystery at the Museum
Enjoy Discovery Day Camps at the Clay Center!
Early Explorers - Sun and Moon by Marcus Pfister
Early Explorers invites our youngest Explorers to discover the world through stories, music, play, and hands-on activities!
Early Explorers - Sun and Moon by Marcus Pfister
Early Explorers invites our youngest Explorers to discover the world through stories, music, play, and hands-on activities!
STEM FEST
Get ready to think big, experiment boldly, and discover the wonders of STEM at the Clay Center’s second annual STEM Fest!
Homeschool Days: Good Vibrations: Booms, Buzzes, & Banjos!
Join us for Homeschool Days, an experience where students and parents partake in a series of educational programming designed to spark creativity and imagination.
Early Explorers - A Pet for Petunia by Paul Schmid
Early Explorers invites our youngest Explorers to discover the world through stories, music, play, and hands-on activities!
Early Explorers - A Pet for Petunia by Paul Schmid
Early Explorers invites our youngest Explorers to discover the world through stories, music, play, and hands-on activities!
Discovery Day Camp: Appalachian Adventures - Day 1
Enjoy Discovery Day Camps at the Clay Center!
Wonder Lab: Dinosaur Excavation Challenge
Families excavate mystery dinosaur bones, develop their own theories, reconstruct prehistoric creatures, and defend their scientific conclusions.
Discovery Day Camp: Appalachian Adventures - Day 2
Enjoy Discovery Day Camps at the Clay Center!
Wonder Lab: Prehistoric Observation Journals
Families investigate fossil replicas through crayon rubbings and careful observation before creating their own scientific illustrations of prehistoric creatures.
Wonder Lab: Fossil Slime
Create clear "amber slime" inspired by fossils preserved in amber. A fun, hands-on STEAM activity perfect for younger audiences.
Early Explorers - Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Early Explorers invites our youngest Explorers to discover the world through stories, music, play, and hands-on activities!
Early Explorers - Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Early Explorers invites our youngest Explorers to discover the world through stories, music, play, and hands-on activities!
Early Explorers - Penguin and Pinecone by Salina Yoon
Early Explorers invites our youngest Explorers to discover the world through stories, music, play, and hands-on activities!
Early Explorers - Penguin and Pinecone by Salina Yoon
Early Explorers invites our youngest Explorers to discover the world through stories, music, play, and hands-on activities!
$2 Admission for SNAP & WIC Participants
Enjoy admission to the Clay Center for just $2 per person on the first Sunday of each month with a valid SNAP or WIC card and photo ID.
Early Explorers - Frosty the Snowman by Diane Muldrow
Early Explorers invites our youngest Explorers to discover the world through stories, music, play, and hands-on activities!
Early Explorers - Frosty the Snowman by Diane Muldrow
Early Explorers invites our youngest Explorers to discover the world through stories, music, play, and hands-on activities!
Family Gingerbread Workshop
Families are invited to our annual gingerbread workshop to decorate a premade gingerbread house however they please! Guests can enjoy light refreshments and holiday music while choosing from candy and icing decorations, all provided by The Clay Center.
You bring the creativity, and we’ll take care of the rest!
Early Explorers - Footprints in the Snow by Cynthia Benjamin
Early Explorers invites our youngest Explorers to discover the world through stories, music, play, and hands-on activities!
Early Explorers - Footprints in the Snow by Cynthia Benjamin
Early Explorers invites our youngest Explorers to discover the world through stories, music, play, and hands-on activities!
Night at the Museum
The Clay Center has transformed into a giant escape room, and your team must work together to find its way out! Explore the museum after dark as you work through challenges to crack the code!
Discovery Day Camp: Tiny Science & Underdogs - Day 1
Enjoy Discovery Day Camps at the Clay Center!
Discovery Day Camp: Tiny Science & Underdogs - Day 2
Enjoy Discovery Day Camps at the Clay Center!
Discovery Day Camp: Tiny Science & Underdogs - Day 3
Enjoy Discovery Day Camps at the Clay Center!
Winter WonderLabs
Looking for something to do over winter break? Shake off those winter wiggles and come to the Clay Center for our Winter Wonderlabs at 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 3:00 PM each day! Families will explore different STEAM topics together and make some chilly discoveries along the way!
Winter WonderLabs
Looking for something to do over winter break? Shake off those winter wiggles and come to the Clay Center for our Winter Wonderlabs at 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 3:00 PM each day! Families will explore different STEAM topics together and make some chilly discoveries along the way!
Winter WonderLabs
Looking for something to do over winter break? Shake off those winter wiggles and come to the Clay Center for our Winter Wonderlabs at 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 3:00 PM each day! Families will explore different STEAM topics together and make some chilly discoveries along the way!
Winter WonderLabs
Looking for something to do over winter break? Shake off those winter wiggles and come to the Clay Center for our Winter Wonderlabs at 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 3:00 PM each day! Families will explore different STEAM topics together and make some chilly discoveries along the way!
Noon Year’s Eve
Can’t stay up until midnight? No problem! Put on your dancing shoes and get ready to celebrate 2027 at NOON!
Roar & Explore with Dinosaurs Exhibit Closing
Roar & Explore with Dinosaurs, an immersive travelling dinosaur exhibit produced by the Miami Children’s Museum, will open on September 26, 2026 and will run until January 3, 2027 at the Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences of West Virginia.
I am Wild: A Charley Harper Exhibit Closing
I AM WILD: A Charley Harper Exhibit West Virginia, inspired by the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh’s 2025 exhibition, I AM WILD: A Charley Harper Exhibit, closes at The Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences of West Virginia on January 3rd, 2027.
Early Explorers - Goodnight Sun by Eoin Mclaughlin and Morag Hood
Early Explorers invites our youngest Explorers to discover the world through stories, music, play, and hands-on activities!
Early Explorers - Goodnight Sun by Eoin Mclaughlin and Morag Hood
Early Explorers invites our youngest Explorers to discover the world through stories, music, play, and hands-on activities!
Early Explorers - Dogs in Space by Nancy Coffelt
Early Explorers invites our youngest Explorers to discover the world through stories, music, play, and hands-on activities!
Early Explorers - Dogs in Space by Nancy Coffelt
Early Explorers invites our youngest Explorers to discover the world through stories, music, play, and hands-on activities!
Discovery Day Camp: Walk the Plank: Pirates
Enjoy Discovery Day Camps at the Clay Center!
Homeschool Days: Glow Crazy: The Science of Light & Color
Join us for Homeschool Days, an experience where students and parents partake in a series of educational programming designed to spark creativity and imagination.
Early Explorers - Reach for the Stars by Emily Calandrelli and Honee Jang
Early Explorers invites our youngest Explorers to discover the world through stories, music, play, and hands-on activities!
Early Explorers - Reach for the Stars by Emily Calandrelli and Honee Jang
Early Explorers invites our youngest Explorers to discover the world through stories, music, play, and hands-on activities!
Early Explorers - Up, Up, and Away by Margaret Hiller and Robert Mash
Early Explorers invites our youngest Explorers to discover the world through stories, music, play, and hands-on activities!
Early Explorers - Up, Up, and Away by Margaret Hiller and Robert Mash
Early Explorers invites our youngest Explorers to discover the world through stories, music, play, and hands-on activities!
Homeschool Days: Think It, Tinker It, Build It!
Join us for Homeschool Days, an experience where students and parents partake in a series of educational programming designed to spark creativity and imagination.
Homeschool Days: Wild, Wacky Weather Works!
Join us for Homeschool Days, an experience where students and parents partake in a series of educational programming designed to spark creativity and imagination.
Homeschool Days: Our Amazing World!
Join us for Homeschool Days, an experience where students and parents partake in a series of educational programming designed to spark creativity and imagination.
Homeschool Days: Dinosaur / Fossils
Join us for Homeschool Days, an experience where students and parents partake in a series of educational programming designed to spark creativity and imagination.
Wonder Lab: Fossil Detectives
Become a junior paleontologist as you excavate fossils, examine ancient clues, and create your own fossil impressions. Learn how scientists uncover Earth's prehistoric past one discovery at a time.
Discovery Day Camp: Dinosaur Detectives - Day 2
Enjoy Discovery Day Camps at the Clay Center!
We Are Open!
School may be out, but the Clay Center is open! Join us for a full day of discovery across our hands-on science and art exhibits. Perfect for families looking for an engaging and educational day off.
Discovery Day Camp: Dinosaur Detectives - Day 1
Enjoy Discovery Day Camps at the Clay Center!
$2 Admission for SNAP & WIC Participants
Enjoy admission to the Clay Center for just $2 per person on the first Sunday of each month with a valid SNAP or WIC card and photo ID.
Back in Time | Museum After Hours
During this adults-only Museum After Hours, Back in Time travel from the prehistoric era to the 80s & 90s with themed drinks, dinosaur activities, and plenty of nostalgia!
Roar & Explore with Dinosaurs Exhibit Opening
Roar & Explore with Dinosaurs, an immersive travelling dinosaur exhibit produced by the Miami Children’s Museum, will open on September 26, 2026 and will run until January 3, 2027 at the Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences of West Virginia.
Member Preview: Roar & Explore with Dinosaurs Exhibit
Clay Center Members will have the opportunity to be the first to experience “Roar & Explore with Dinosaurs” during an exclusive member preview event on Friday, September 25, from 5:30–7:30 PM.
Homeschool Days: Wild Builders & Beastly Blueprints
Join us for Homeschool Days, an experience where students and parents partake in a series of educational programming designed to spark creativity and imagination.
Wonder Lab: Berry Lab: Taste & DNA
Experience the surprising science of miracle berries as they transform the way your taste buds experience sour foods, then extract real DNA from strawberries to discover the building blocks found inside every living thing.
$2 Admission for SNAP & WIC Participants
Enjoy admission to the Clay Center for just $2 per person on the first Sunday of each month with a valid SNAP or WIC card and photo ID.
Art Takeover
Art Takeover is a museum-wide celebration of creativity that transforms the entire museum into a living art studio.
Wonder Lab: Sew a Microbe Plushie
Stitch your very own plush microorganism while learning about the tiny cells that make up all living things. Add organelles and create a soft scientific model to take home.
Homeschool Days: Cosmic Explorers: Blast Off & Beyond!
Join us for Homeschool Days, an experience where students and parents partake in a series of educational programming designed to spark creativity and imagination.
Great Charleston Domino Challenge
The Great Charleston Domino Challenge invites families to become part of one giant community domino creation.
I am Wild: A Charley Harper Exhibit Opening
I AM WILD: A Charley Harper Exhibit West Virginia, inspired by the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh’s 2025 exhibition, I AM WILD: A Charley Harper Exhibit, opens at The Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences of West Virginia on August 15, 2026.
Wonder Lab: Glow Lab: Slime & Light
Mix up a glowing batch of slime and discover the fascinating science of light! Explore ultraviolet light, fluorescent materials, and glowing objects as you uncover why some things shine in the dark.
(SOLD OUT) Summer Camp - Pretendology: Storytelling Camp
Campers will become master storytellers!
$2 Admission for SNAP & WIC Participants
Enjoy admission to the Clay Center for just $2 per person on the first Sunday of each month with a valid SNAP or WIC card and photo ID.
(SOLD OUT) Summer Camp - Where the Wild Things Should Be - Lil' Performing Arts Camp
Campers will roar, dance, and act their way through a playful performing arts adventure!
Wonder Lab: Build a Better Building Challenge
Put your engineering skills to the test as you design, build, and improve your own building! Experiment with different materials and discover what makes structures strong enough to stand up to exciting engineering challenges.
(SOLD OUT) Summer Camp - Mad for Science Camp
Campers will experiment, build, and explore!
Paper Pilots
A high-flying afternoon of design, testing, and friendly competition centered on the art and science of paper airplanes.
Summer Camp - The Camp Necessities - Lil' Bio Camp
Little explorers will discover plants, animals, and tiny creatures all around them!
Summer Camp - Shark Week - Natural Science
Dive into the world of sharks and ocean life!