Discovery Room

Free admission

Encourage your child's curiosity and wonder in the ever-changing hands-on Discovery Room! Live animals, preserved specimens from Museum collections and a variety of science resources provide many opportunities for families to learn about the world together.

Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Please limit group sizes to 5 children per adult. Adults are responsible for ensuring the children in their care explore the Discovery Room in a safe and respectful manner. We appreciate your help in keeping the exhibit tidy for the next visitors!

 

Exhibit Highlights

  • Discovery Drawers and Bins
    Open the drawers to see objects from our collections including manatee bones, eggs, shells and butterflies. For hands on exploration, check out our bins.
  • Wind Tunnel
    Explore how different objects move in the wind! Test out your ideas about what determines whether an object will move in the wind or not.
  • Animal Mounts
    Get an up close look at Florida birds and mammals displayed in our object cases.
  • Salt Water Aquarium
    Are corals plants or animals? Visit the Discovery Room to learn more about corals and appreciate the diversity of ocean life.
  • Forest Habitat
    Designed with our younger visitors in mind, this exhibit element has a gentle slope and short stairs for early walkers.
  • Reading Area
    Settle into our comfortable chairs and enjoy our quality collection of picture books and reference materials with your curious learner.
  • Building Corner
    Explore balance, motion and gravity with our sets of blocks and gears.

 

Did you know?

  • During the first years of life, children build basic concepts about the physical and natural worlds that form the foundation for later science understanding.
  • Young children who talk about science with their families develop larger, more sophisticated vocabularies. This, in turn, helps with reading comprehension in later elementary school and beyond.
  • Encouraging children to pursue their early interest in science can promote positive attitudes toward learning and dispositions such as curiosity, persistence in solving problems, and motivation to learn more.

 

 Discovery Room corner tree 2012

Related Resources

 

We thank our sponsors!

  • Charles H. and Wanda Denny, III
  • Francis Miranda Childress Foundation, Inc.
  • Florida Museum Associates Board
  • Children's Museum of the South