Discovery Park of America

This place was so much fun to visit! It's just far enough away from Memphis to be considered a "trip" but definitely a quick day trip! And definitely worth the trek!!!We went with three different generations of our family and all three had a great time. (And all three generations went down the massive multi-story indoor slide!!!) The grounds are LOVELY and we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day to explore all the outdoor exhibits. Our favorite indoor exhibit was the torture chamber! How fascinating!!! And the kids absolutely loved the water play on the highest level! I feel like this is a place you can visit over and over again and not see it all or have a new experience each time. If you're in the area: do give it a try! I bet you'll find something to enjoy.

I think this place is ok. I thought it would bigger in the inside but it's not. We went when it was super cold and couldn't really enjoy what they had outside. Overall, it was alright. Prob wouldn't go back. Also, the food prices were expensive. And their loaded fries is such a rip off. When they say loaded. It's literally just fries. And oh you can add cheese for 3 dollars. Which was just a squirt of cheese. But the staff members were super nice and helpful. Would recommend to at least go once.

A decent place to visit with kids*. 2 hours from Memphis. It has exhibits which attempt to interest kids and youth in scientific matters. Most are interactive. Some examples: a watercourse, where you can not only watch plastic balls being propelled by water, but also redirect the flow of the water and mist, turn a crank to add more balls to a whirlpool, 'fish' for magnetic fish, etc; Adjust light and heat, flying objects. A fair amount of military equipment of many ages (some you can climb into); A Native American section showing shaped rocks from many ages; Large (some giant) sized mineral and rocks ; Giant fossilized tree trunks; A dinosaur exhibit. Most of this is inside.There are many opportunities for fun - there's a nice maze you can walk-thru, an outside playground including a small zip line; gardens, a replica settlement, etc. Our great grandchild most liked the 2-story inside slide. We did too, but our old body suggested we stop after just 1 try! She went on seemingly forever!! There is a several-story tower from which you can see miles of the surrounding countryside and it has areas with glass floors which the brave can test their mettle. This is a $7 extra for the regular admission. They also have a movie theater and earthquake experience which we didn't purchase.You can't bring any food/drinks into the park but you can leave to eat and reenter.* - While this is the 3rd time we went, we both feel it is a let-down for adults with no kids.

This is a FANTASTIC educational entertainment option if you live somewhere in the vicinity of the museum. There is a little of everything: military history, animals, american history, gardens, play areas, trains, farming, automobiles, rockets and even an exhibit on historical torture practices! I'm not sure I've ever been to a museum that casts such a wide net on topics to learn about. We were there about 4 hours and did not fully explore everything. The highlights for us were the civil and revolutionary war reenactors, the working blacksmith, the torture section, military section, and the garden maze (which was fun now but will be far better when the hedges fully grow in). As a whole, we were more impressed by the outside than the inside, and the grounds were beautiful even in March. I can only imagine how gorgeous this place must be once Spring has hit! We were given free admission because we happened to be there on a military weekend where all active military and veterans (AND their families) were free. What luck! Super grateful. Initially I planned to add on some of the extras since we weren't paying for admission, but after looking at the earthquake simulator and Cooper Tower we decided the cost was excessive for the potential experience. We did eat in the cafe and the food was reasonably priced, albeit basic and a little light on portion size. We had read great things about this museum online and decided to incorporate it into our roadtrip despite it not being super convenient. The main issue was lodging. There is a hotel right next to Discovery Park, but it does not have rooms to accommodate our sized family. There are no airbnbs in Union City that can fit 8 either (at least at the time I was looking), so we ended up having to stay in Martin. I mention all this as a preface to the question, was it worth it? I don't know. We really enjoyed our visit and if we lived in the area, we'd for sure become members and frequent visitors of Discovery Park. For someone wondering if they should drive in from out of state and make a weekend of it... I'm less sure.

Tldr:The trip in no doubt worth the price of admission and going out of your way for. Yet, they will prevent you from bringing in your own waterbottle, gouge you with their prices, and not provide recycling.This place was really fun. You can tell that it has some funding from well-to-do people. The topics are eclectic with an emphasis on STEM. You can learn about agricultural history and future and historical home economics by walking down the pavement. My group was all adults and we had no shortage of entertainment and true learning. My only criticism is that no food or water is allowed and they will thoroughly search your bag (purse) to ensure no outside merchandise makes its way in. That's because they want to charge an exorbitant amount on their own goods. 2.50 for a bottle of water is approaching Orlando theme park prices (you know the ones). Yet, even those parks allow you to bring in a cold lunch and water. We ended up cutting our trip short to get food, rather disappointing.

Okay...unless your child really loves to read, this place will most likely be a bust. The price isn't terrible for a general pass at about 20$ per child and adult. You can also add-on things like the cinema and earthquake simulator. There were different packages to purchase and we went with general with two add-ons. I'm glad we did because my son who is 10 was bored out of his skull most of the time.I will say we went thinking it would have more hands on things for the kids to do. But unless your little likes to read and self immerse in other peoples discoveries...it'll be a flop for you too.There were some cool things, like the kids water exhibit and the giant indoor slid and the outdoor playground. But other than that...my child, who loves tactile learning, was not impressed.My other MAJOR ISSUE was a gentleman worker there that gave us lots of great information and interacted with the kids...by the 3rd time we ran into him, he started talking with our 12 year old girls and was trying to exchange their Minecraft names! For what?! So you can link up with kids over the Internet?! Hell naw! Stay in your lane buddy. After that, we avoided him and the kids weren't allowed to engage him in any further conversation. At this time in the world, there's no necessary reason for a grown man to be trying to find our children on a game site to "chat" about other things. Get bent, Dude. I wouldn't go back. The 2 hour ride was not worth it for us. But if you do go, keep an eye on your children.

Great employees, who are always up for conversations. They know about the facility, but are also ready to just chat with you about your day. It's an amazing place, but you'll see that right as you pull up. We went on the weekend of July 4th, and participated in the reenactment of the Boston Tea party.

We spent the night next door but didn't know what the big tower next was. Stopped by to see and decided to check it out. A combination of history, science, technology, as well as interactive displays, this place is a great location for adults and kids alike. Some features have an additional cost (movie, tower, earthquake simulator etc) but no different than other family adventure areas. Covering 50 acres, there are things to see both indoors and outdoors. We had a sunny day so everything was available. Obviously weather would be a factor for the outdoor attractions. The cost is the same or lower than other similar attractions that we have visited in the past.I would not hesitate to come back again if we are ever in the area.

We went yesterday since kids are free in January. We had a good day- for sure there is plenty to look at and do.They emphasized that people should be wearing masks, but quite a few people were taking them off as they walked around. There also didn't seem to be much sanitizing going on. Once you leave the entrance, there really aren't a lot of workers around to monitor and enforce rules. Places like the ag barn had zero workers. We had thought about eating there, but the food area was packed and didn't seem safe with covid. It is unfortunate they don't allow outside food. There should also be a separate entry line for people who buy tickets online. We had to wait in the same line as everyone else and the worker had to take and touch my phone to scan my tickets. All while we watched people walk in and walk around the line without paying.

ive never visited this place before so i couldnt see it but my child is going to a fieldtrip today to that place