Frequently Asked Questions
Sloan Museum of Discovery
Sloan Museum of Discovery is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Sundays Noon-5 p.m.; Closed Mondays* (*open Mondays for President's Day, spring break week, and the week between Christmas and New Year's Eve).
Genesee County Residents: Free with I.D. (due to the passage of the Genesee County Arts, Education and Cultural Millage that was passed in 2018 by Genesee County voters). Please present your driver’s license or ID with your address on it to receive your discount. Please note that every ticket holder must be a Genesee County resident to receive the millage benefits.
Members: Free
General Admission - Out of County Visitors:
Ages 12-59-$15 | Seniors 60+ $12 | Students (with IDs) $12 | Children ages 2-11 $10 | Children under 2 - Free
General admission exhibits include all four permanent gallery spaces (History Gallery, Durant Gallery vehicle exhibition hall, Hagerman Street Early Childhood Learning Gallery, and Discovery Hall science gallery. Traveling exhibits are not included in general admission.
Visitors to Sloan Museum of Discovery should park in the north main lot shared with the Flint Cultural Center Academy building. This can most easily be accessed from the I-475 exit at Longway Blvd.; turn east onto Longway Blvd. and the museum and the parking lot will be on your right.
The entire museum is wheelchair accessible, there are 2 wheelchairs available at no charge in the north entrance of the building (the parking lot facing Longway Blvd.) The north entrance also has an ada compliant ramp for wheelchair use.
Lost and Found items are handled by the Guest Services staff. Please note that we do not retain hats and gloves as a precaution for hygiene and safety.
The busiest time of year for school groups is September through mid-June, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. If you would like to come at a time when there are no school groups, please come after 2 p.m. during the school year, or on the weekends.
All research requests need to be made before your visit. We have the largest archive of Flint and Genesee County history. It is available to the public, however, appointments must be made in advance. Call 810-237-3440 to schedule a research appointment. You can also visit our searchable online tool Finding Flint to research and explore the archives from the comfort of your own home.
No. The IRS views museums and archives as interested parties and therefore Sloan Museum does not provide appraisals of the monetary value of materials proposed for donation or for any other reason. However, professional appraisers will perform this service for a fee. To find a licensed appraiser in your area, contact one of the following organizations for a referral:
• American Society of Appraisers
• International Society of Appraisers
• Appraisers Association of America
Visitors may buy tickets online, over the phone, or at Guest Services upon arrival. Advance ticket purchases for special events is highly recommended, as some events frequently sell out.
No. All food and drinks must be consumed in the lobby or café area prior to entering the museum galleries. You will be asked to discard any food or drink items before entering the gallery spaces.
We offer several options for hosting a wide variety of events inside the museum; including the café/lobby space (up to 200 people), the Bob Sovis Community room (up to 50 people), and our multiple learning labs can be reserved for birthday parties, offsite company meetings, or other small events. Visit here for more information on our events spaces.
Longway Planetarium
The Longway Planetarium lobby is open Tuesday and Wednesday 9:30 a.m.- 5 p.m., Thursday & Friday 9:30 a.m.- 9 p.m., Saturday 11:30 a.m.- 9 p.m. and Sunday 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Visit here to view complete showtimes.
Genesee County Residents: 50% off admission
All Longway Planetarium shows are 50% off for Genesee County residents:
Adults 12-59 $5 | Seniors 60+ $4 | Students (w/ ID) $4 | Children 2-11 $4 | Children 0-2 FREE
Please present your driver’s license or ID with your address on it to receive your discount. Please note that every ticket holder must be a Genesee County resident to receive the millage benefits.
Members: Free
Out of County Visitors:
Adults 12-59 $10 | Seniors 60+ $8 | Students (w/ ID) $8 | Children 2-11 $8 | Children 0-2 FREE
Visitors are welcome to park anywhere in the Flint Cultural Center. All parking lots are free of charge. For Longway Planetarium, visitors are able to park in the lot directly in front of the building. Parking is also available behind the building.
The entire Planetarium lobby is wheelchair accessible. In the planetarium dome, the full front row (10 seats total) are wheelchair accessible; a wheelchair is available at no charge at entrance of the building.
The busiest time of year for school groups is September through mid-June, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. If you would like to come at a time when there are no school groups, please come after 1 p.m. during the school year, or on the weekends.
Each month, the planetarium hosts lectures such as First Friday and Second Friday.
Yes, sensory friendly features are offered once a month at Longway Planetarium – on the first Saturday of each month at 11 a.m. Visit here for a list of upcoming Sensory friendly shows.
Laser Light shows take place every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 & 8 p.m. These shows are not recommended for patrons with epilepsy or vertigo since it can have dizzying effects. There is no age limit on shows, however, we do make age recommendations based on each show’s content. Once a laser light show has started there can be no late entry, so please arrive early for your scheduled show time. Visit here to find out more about Laser Light Shows.
No. All food and drinks must be consumed in the lobby prior to seating. Before entering the dome, you will be asked to discard any food or drink items.
The Longway Planetarium lobby is available for catered events after hours with the option to add a show in the Longway Planetarium Theater for an additional fee (maximum seating up to 100). Classrooms are also available for smaller birthday parties, offsite meetings or workshops (accommodates up 40 people).
Yes, sensory friendly features are offered once a month at Longway Planetarium – on the first Saturday of each month at 11 a.m. Visit here for a list of upcoming Sensory friendly shows.
Shoes and shirts need to stay on while in the museum for the safety of our guests. Thank you for your cooperation.