Discovery Gateway Children's Museum

Awesome space for kids. Don’t miss the real helicopter upstairs which is always a big hit. I also love the basketball court upstairs with balance bikes, etc for bad weather/ inversion days. Couple complaints that make me do 4/5 instead of 5/5: I agree with other reviewers about the pay parking. I also think the membership options being very rigid doesn’t feel very welcoming. If you are the membership holder you always have to be the attendee and they make you show your drivers license which is really intense. I would like the flexibility to send my husband with the kids one day without me but I can’t do that unless I pay more which sucks. Finally I really don’t like having to exit through the toy store, it always turns a lovely time with my toddler into a meltdown at the end. Any improvements to these things would make me so happy!!

This children's museum is great for preschoolers and elementary school kids. My older kids have had fun but there are exhibits that don't appeal to them at all and they get bored more quickly, especially if there is a crowd at the museum making it harder to interact with the exhibits they do enjoy. There is very little for toddlers and only under 1 year-olds get in free. There are many things to do (unless you're a toddler, see my review for that below). On the main floor there is the hive (balls and tubes for the balls to go in as well as climbing structures and a slide), the construction site (a conveyor sorting system, large foam stacking blocks, a slide, and some small cranes), water tables, a large playhouse with multiple rooms and an upstairs, a mini Macy's grocery store, a small cookie shop counter and stove, a small farm area (chickens with eggs, wooden plants to pick, a large plastic horse to sit on), a bank area, a car repair area, and an art room. On the second floor there is a pinewood Derby style car track, a dress-up area with puppets, a sensory room (I think), a new model train area that is only open for two hours a day (never made it in there), multiple small stem toys at a counter (like a small container of Lincoln logs), an indoor gross motor play area (small balance bikes, a short rock wall, a basketball hoop, large foam blocks, wind/scarf toy, a beanbag toss), an outdoor helicopter and dispatch station, and a Dino area (fossils in a lab and a fossil dig site without any sand or digging possible). The best exhibits, in my opinion, are the hive, the construction site, Macy's, and the water tables. My kids also really enjoy the helicopter/life flight outdoor area though it is very minimal. The worst exhibit in my opinion is the dinosaur area. My kids are always disappointed by the Dino area because there is practically nothing to do. They always hope for sand in the dig site, but there are only tools (goggles, brushes, hammers, picks) and the only things to brush at are the broken bits of the exhibit other kids have managed to break off in the dig site. I realize sand would be messy but then don't have a dig site. (Thanksgiving Point's ancient life museum successfully has a fossil dig site with sand or at least they did in the past.) The lab area has lots to look at and that's where it ends--not engaging and the only interactive elements are (1) drawers to open and close, (2) a microscope to look in, (3) lab coats to put on and hang up. I personally would not bring a child who is between 1 and 2.5 because you pay full price and yet there is hardly anything for them to do. Most exhibits are taller so there isn't much for them to engage with. I don't feel like any of the exhibits are tailored to toddlers. Also the whole museum is very open concept (but at least the stairs have a gate at the top and bottom) so they can go everywhere easily and quickly which can be stressful if it is crowded.

Great place to visit! Love that it's open on a Sunday! My kids had a blast. Also love that if you have WIC your tickets are discounted. Makes it easier for us single moms to be able to get out without breaking the bank.

Clean, fun, safe place for kids. Not too crowded on a Saturday afternoon. Price was $27 for an adult and one child. Only thing is parking is a bit difficult, but as to be expected with this area. Will come back. Loved how clean the facility was. Admission workers weren't the greatest, so I would suggest buying your ticket online so you can skip dealing with the desk.

We like taking the kids to museums, and we hadn’t been back to this one in about 1.5 years. We have a membership to the Thanksgiving Point museums, so that’s my point of reference. Discovery is fun, and very hands on, which the kids love. There are lots of things for the kids to touch and play with and although the subject matter varies, it is science-focused, which I quite like. There could be more to do. It feels small compared to the Children’s Curiosity Museum at Thanksgiving Point. My main gripe was the parking. After paying $50+ (for 2 adults and 2 kids) they charged a small parking validation fee, which seems rude. Overall it was a good experience, but not amazing, which is why it earns a solid 4 stars.