Discovery Park of America

My kiddos (special needs, 13F, wheelchair) and (16M) both had a really good time. Even outside we were able to go most places bc the paths were paved. In the settlement and the grist mill areas it wasn't paved, but the fine grain surfacing was fairly well packed down and we could still navigate. There were also ramps to several of the cabins. We also stayed for the holiday lights (both drive-thru and walking) and both kids really had fun and enjoyed it. The Cafe food was a bit meh, but all the exhibits were great, plenty of room to maneuver and explore and interact with a lot of the displays. Yes, some of the add ones do cost but we did the pick two and it was not too pricey and we got to do the tower and one 3D show which was also fun.

While visiting friends in the area we took the ride up here to see the Discovery Park. And it turned out to be quite an experience. What an eclectic assortment pulled together into one collection. From a massive arrowhead collection, to dinosaur bones, to a collection of cars and war memorabilia; we spent most of the day there and still barely scratched the surface. With the wind and cold we did not venture out to look at the outside exhibits but were able to view them from the tower, as well as the nearby interstate and surrounding areas. Look forward to returning and see what we missed on this first visit.

Our family had a fantastic time visiting this beautiful place. So much to see and the kids (and big kids) all had a blast. The wooden homestead village was my absolute favorite and the train station was a hit with everyone in our group. Definitely coming back again in the summertime.

This discovery center is a must see with small kids, the little ones ages four and six had an absolute blast. We were mostly inside because it was pretty cold outside, but there’s so much to do. We spent hours here. Definitely recommended to anyone looking to get out of the house and explore.

We always try to stop into the Discovery Park when we come into town. This was our first time making it in for Christmas & making it in for the light show! We chose to drive thru (it was a bit cooler than we're used to lately). We did have to wait at the entrance for about 20 minutes to wait for a glitch with the lights. But it was still worth it. The employees were very thorough with explaining why we all had to wait & very caring about our time. We will be back again one day for the lights again! & look forward to the museum & exhibits again!

This is a definite must if you find yourself in the middle of nowhere in Tennessee. There is something for everyone, young and old. Staff were friendly and helpful. The cafeteria could use some upgrades to quality and menu. That is the only negative on this visit. They were setting up Christmas lights for a drive thru or walk thru. We would love to return for it.

This place is Amazing!!!! We took our 3 year old and he had an Awesome time!! We were there 4 hours and could have stayed longer! This is a place you should visit if driving through!! Fun for all ages!!

We had a wonderful visit to Discovery Park! It was very hot, but we took our time and split up seeing the indoor exhibits and going around the outdoor exhibits. We managed to see everything we wanted. My 3 year olds favorite part was the huge water table. My grandparents really enjoyed the historic buildings outside. The complimentary strollers and wheelchairs were a wonderful amenity to have available.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This place blew us away! Such an amazing spot in a remote area. We will continue to return and probably buy a family season pass.

Great place to take the family and spark wonder in children. They are invested in the community and give back.

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.

" This Place Is Amazing " This Discovery Park Of America is an amazing huge park stuck out in the far away isolated area on Union City, TN., The park is a historical Genius !. Every student in school should have to visit this Park and see all of the historical items. There were Slides, Dinosaurs, Torture Chambers, Vintage Cars, Big Rocks & Lakes, Military Stuff, Space Ships, Jet Fighter Planes, Trains, Statues, Animals,Tractors & Farm Equipment, Playgrounds, Log Cabins, A Church, Museums, etc., etc. This place Rocks ! It is also so well maintained and is clean as a whistle. A Must See !

This is an all day adventure. We had an absolute blast. So much for kids to do and is extremely entertaining for adults also.

This. Place. Is. Awesome. Took the kids here for a quick visit (2.5 hours), and had the best time! There were slides, and dinosaurs, torture chambers, and vintage cars, big rocks, and military stuff... We loved it! My kids literally never slowed down. They ran from thing to thing, pushed the button or turned the crank, and moved to the next thing. It was exhausting. But awesome. I do have one minor issue. The cabin settlement that you can tour was made for extremely short people. I am short (5'6") and I bashed my head so hard my wife didn't laugh. Everyone stopped to see if I was alive. Thankfully it was near the end of our day so I was only grumpy for a little while. Maybe early period people were shorter than me? I don't know, but that really hurt. Anyway, this place is really cool for any aged person. My kids loved climbing on the helicopter and my wife and I got a good laugh out of the torture chamber (see the chastity belts). Overall, it was an awesome experience and we'll definitely be coming back!

This is a fantastic museum with so much regional and national history. There are lots of hands-on things for the kids to do and learn. And they have a lot of special programs too. We absolutely love it and highly recommend it!

This place is amazing! It was packed with visitors and I could only imagine if it was publicized more and/or close to a metro area like Nashville or Memphis how much more of a spectacle this would be! I was a bit worried that there wouldn't be much for adults here, but I was dead wrong. The dinosaur exhibit was great and the Reelfoot Lake earthquake simulation was interesting, informative and a great deal of fun. If you have an extra 30 - 60 minutes to spare, the drive out to Reelfoot is worth the time. Luckily, we went when the Titanic Exhibit was there (ends May 2nd). They had a diverse display of artifacts and facts about the travelers--a wonderful exhibit. The space simulator was not worth the extra cost, but if you have kids, they will really enjoy it. Outside, they have constructed cabins and stores and displayed equipment to resemble life in the 1800's. There is a great deal to do at Discovery Park, so be sure that you get there early to spend the entire day; this isn't a short two or three hour ordeal. This is a great place for school field trips! If you have kids, you have to plan a trip to Discovery Park as soon as possible.

Amazing place!!! Small city, amazing place. Have been going here ever since it opened, Outstandingly clean, has exhibits for all ages, and Unlimited things to do ranging from a playground for kids, History showcases for people looking to learn a little, Even a large cafe to relax and get something to eat, Nice gift shop. If you can catch the right time, you will have it mostly empty, which is amazing! Movie theater to watch short, interesting films about history, and Live animals from snakes, to small lizards, the best of all, a large slide that everyone can enjoy, Top floor has water balls and Jenna building blocks. Learn all about space with the space exhibit. Absolutely recommend to anyone coming through town with kids looking for something. A true small town blessing.

I spent the good part of the day here with family, and I would definitely come back but I would stay in the building. Just my opinion. I'm a person who enjoys history so when I got to the Indians and the Civil War and World War I, I took my time. Now I'm not sure if they had the rest like the civil rights movement and WWII and other important moments in history but I thought I heard the "I have a dream" speech. But I was getting hungry so I didn't really check the exhibit throughly. I also liked the wooly mammoth when you walk in. That thing is huge! And really cool. The snakes are cool too, but I like reptiles. So are the cars. I also found the egg scale cute. It's interesting to see how people lived and what they used. I like that about museums. It's like history comes to life when you walk through the doors. I'll come back.

Very nice museum.... we did the escape room it was very hard !!!!! So much to see Spent about 5 hours here and still didn't get to see everything--- Great layout and very interactive

Wow! We just spent 6 hours here and my son could have stayed another 6 hours. What an amazing place. All the staff we talked to were super informative, ready to help you learn, and so very kind!!

This place was a great day trip for the whole family. It has everything you might want, it's a museum with everything. Military, space, dinosaurs, fish, rocks, garden: history about whatever you might wanna learn about, and the staff is super friendly.

We loved everything about our 2-day visit. We had such a fun little family vacation! If you have kids or grandkids and live within driving distance, take them and go here! Dino's, train, minerals, cars/motorcycles/planes/tractors/shuttle, war, history, electricity, water tables, 2-story slide, space, settlers village, parks, playgrounds, maze, lookout tower, animals and villages. Events all the time. It's so easy to have fun here! Their staff is awesome, friendly and most remembered us from the first day or held open doors or gave info about an exhibit. They're building a hotel on-site for next year and we will definitely come back again and again.

This place was phenomenal!! My 5 year old grandson loved it and so did we!!! There is something for all ages...no joke!! We enjoyed it as much as our grandson:) The staff are pleasant, helpful and seem to love their jobs! We were there 2 days and could have been there longer:) we highly recommend it!

This is a really nice place to take your kids to teach them something useful while they think they are just having fun. Is out of the way but it is worth the effort. Even for us older folks, it was entertaining to see our lifetimes documented for recording cylinders, to tape, to CDs and then digital with examples of the medium to examine. This is typical of their presentations. Also, for the little bit older crowd, they have an excellent selection of classic cars dating from a post WW1 Rolls Royce to several 60's and later performance cars, and some competition cars to boot. They have a small fort recreated on the grounds with some craftspeople actively engaged in their projects. On our visit, we saw someone re-caneing a stool and another weaving cloth. They explained their work to us; interesting. Nearby is a tractor museum with a large selection of vintage farm implements. There is just too much to describe, so let it suffice to say it was a good half-day of entertainment and education. It is a fun and worthwhile visit!

Love this place and given that it's the only real "attraction" for miles it's easily 5 Stars. They are also super breastfeeding friendly!!! Huge plus.

This is a fun place for all ages! This offers so much and such a wide variety of exhibits. I will attempt to name some so you have an idea of things. Outdoor and indoor playgrounds, huge slides, life size dinosaurs, old time real life size cottages, old farm tractors from the begining of time to present day, evolution of automobiles, a huge collector car museum, all war vehicles from tanks, helicopters, hum-vees, missels, bombs, guns, each war ever fought has an exhibit display. There is an aquarium with all the animals to see. A tower you can take an elevator 15 stories to the top to over look the world. See through floors which was a little scary. A huge pumpkin patch, a beautiful church and wedding venue, full size trains you can climb in and out of all the cabins.....hands on water toys, food places, ice cream shops, and on and on.... Please keep in mind everything here is hands on interactive style exhibits. This may be one of the coolest places I have ever been too. It is out in the middle of nowhere, but it is super clean, super nice, and reasonable priced. It is a must do if you are even near this place. I hope this helps.

Great place to explore and learn, getting a close look at everything from nearby Reelfoot Lake to the solar system and beyond. There are always new exhibits coming in to expand knowledge, and there are plenty of entertainment options as well, most notably for me the outdoor concerts. They do a great 4th of July fireworks show as well. Great restaurant, too. For those of us who live in this rural area, it's hard to believe something like DPA exists here. Just a fun, interesting place to go.

To Simply put you have to visit especially if you have kids. We had an absolutely wonderful day. Plenty to see and do. Well laid out and easy to get around. Anybody that goes that is able bodied needs to get on the slide. Make sure to wear a good pair of shoes.

Great experience! Enjoyed learning about local, as well as world history. Plenty to see and do.

A lot of fun and a ton to see! My group and I are all in our 30's and we really enjoyed the exhibits and the interactive parts as well. One thing I will say, is their concession stand is very allergy friendly. They have gluten free options, and will do what they can to help you find something to eat.

I love the experience every time I go here. The staff is always friendly and everything is very interesting. It's very clean as well and the prices are fair.

Fantasic place to see! So much to do and the exhibits are awesome! We will be back! The staff are very informative also. The cabins were found and brought to the park, very neat to take a look around. Parking is ample. There are many exhibits inside to see and touch. Great for all ages. There is a cafe and gift shop.

Excellent clean family oriented park. First time we visited all four of us enjoyed the day including our college age children. The food line was a little bit long but the prices are very reasonable for an entertainment venue. We were there for more than three hours and only saw half the park. Could easily spend the entire day there. Lots of fun and educational exhibits for all ages. We highly recommend it and hope to get back there again sometime soon. Brian S. , Arizona

Discovery Park is fabulous. So much to see and do. Bring Walking Shoes.You can't see it all in one day. And it keeps changing. Every time we go, we see something new.

Great trip! I really enjoy the rotating exhibits! Always something new to see. My favorite was The Bodies a few years ago. The season decorations are lovely too.

I hate the idea that my kids are getting older! We love it here and can't wait to explore the outside when the weather is a bit warmer..

This place is in the middle of nowhere. Middle of nowhere as in way, way off the interstate on a highway that goes through these tiny towns. I didn't actually see any of the museum portion of Discovery Park of America so I can't really write about that. I drove there one weekend for one of their evening concert series on the lawn. It was almost like going to a carnival. There were several carnival type food stands - corn dogs, funnel cakes, lots of other fried goodness - as well as alcohol stands. The stage was set up at one end of the lawn with a pit area in front of the stage. Anyone could go in the pit area as long as you were willing to stand. Everyone else brought their own chairs or blankets and set them out in an oddly uniform pattern with defined rows. Pretty much any spot you pick has a good view of the stage. Make sure you bring plenty of bug spray if you go for a concert. Bringing bug spray didn't even cross my mind. I ended up with over 100 (no exaggeration) mosquito bites at the end of the night and was miserable for about a week.

This place has something for everyone! You must go. The Titanic exhibit is there now and it is fantastic. The are space, reel foot lake, aquarium, art, tractor, airplane, war, a three story spaceman slide and much more to see. The park is great for all ages. Please go, have a picnic on the beautiful grounds, spend the day, take your grandchildren and your children. There is also a nice little cafe located inside the park with lots of options, even healthy ones.

The Discovery Park is brand new. It is a hodge podge of exhibits but it is entertaining for children. There are enough hands on activities and I suppose many other exhibits are meant to excite imaginations. It is hard to see a theme or even well explained exhibits. With that said, we spent five hours in the main building and came back to spend two hours in the outside buildings. I don't see it as a destination but if you are in the area, give a it try.

I really enjoy DPA. They have some nice events throughout the year. My favorite was the wine and bourbon tasting. It's really fun to meet new people in town.

A real shocker that something of this caliber exists in this rural small town area. Absolutely enjoyed it, both indoor and outdoor exhibits. Really like living history exhibits outdoors in the village area. Learned a lot of interesting info. Staff helpful and friendly.

A gem of a day! Took the kids to this interactive museum for the day. We did everything possible in about 5 1/2 hours. That said, if you stopped and read everything or watched all the videos it would likely take a few days to experience everything. Other reviews said a hodgepodge of stuff. While that is true, for a kids, this approach was great in keeping their interest. Skip the tower and the space journey, what a joke. The tower has wasps and we couldn't go outside. This wasp issue is obviously an ongoing problem as they had professional printed signs. The earthquake show was interesting though. Lots to do and see.

It really is a mini-Smithsonian in rural America. Enjoyable for both the kids and grown-ups, our favorite part was the theater that let us take an interactive journey to outer space. Reasonable prices, free parking, and friendly staff. Would highly recommend.

Amazing facility! Their exhibits are FANTASTIC and they have such a wide variety of artifacts that there is something for everybody. Staff was incredibly friendly and the place was in such great condition that I thought it was brand new. We drove three hours from south Nashville and it was so worth it. Can't wait to visit again.

This place is kind of unique. We purchased the annual pass for my wife and I which is the same as paying for going 3 times. Unless you have kids it may or not be worth the cost, as you really don't gain a whole lot unless you like to go multiple times and in my opinion all the extra exhibits I have to pay for like anyone going here to experience them, so it seems a bit blah to me. I do like some of the exhibits they do offer but in the past year I have been here a total of 3 times with my wife. I wish they would allow you to bring a pick nick lunch rather than having to buy hamburgers or junk food they offer which is way over priced to begin with, as it would be real nice to have a nice sit down lunch on the grass where you are allowed to be when it is nice out. I do love the set up, and as I stated it is an outstanding place to take the kids as they have more activities for the kids than anything else. I think with the annual pass they should at least allow the use of the tower which is not that great but is nice to go up on a nice day and look out. I think it is like 200 feet or less in the air and has a nice walk around but they want $3/person even with the pass to go up and look around. For a specific trip one time or for Christmas it is pretty neat and as I already mentioned for people with children, its an outstanding play ground. I think for me it is a one time visit unless they make it better.

An excellent adventure for the whole family! All ages of kids will find this place enchanting! Reasonably priced (I wish that they had a family membership option though) and the combination of indoor and outdoor activities can fill a day!

Visited today with my nephews they really enjoyed the place. If you have not been please take time out to visit, nice place for kids to interact with exhibits. Looking forward to next phase of project.

This place was amazing. It's huge and fantastically run. Great place for kids - a hands-on science section for kids, a huge slide and the staff were amazing with them. One lady painted with our kids and let them keep the paintings. They sat and chatted with them about history and science as well. We paid extra for the earthquake exhibit - very worthwhile. Educational but fun. The outdoor section was also fantastically laid out. Definitely spend a day there if you're in the area.

This place has something for everyone. It's a great place for kids and adults. It's amazing there is such a massive museum so far off the beaten path.

This learning center is well worth the drive to Northwest Tennessee to visit. If you are a history or science fan, you will love this place. Arrive early so that you will have time to see the indoor & outdoor exhibits.

Wonderful museum in an odd place. So many hands on activities which is great for young explorers. Some of the exhibits seemed kind of bunched into an area in the main building, but overall good. The out buildings are great too set up as little areas to explore, main street, rural settlement , space exploration and the railway area. You can definitely spend a whole day here.