Stepping into the Don Harrington Discovery Center in Amarillo is like entering a wonderland of science--complete with roaring dinosaurs, swirling galaxies, and lasers that make you say, "Whoa, did that just happen?" The place buzzes with curiosity from the moment you walk in. I kicked things off in the Sun, Earth & Universe gallery, pressing buttons to trigger solar flares and playing with real-time space weather--instant brain tickles that felt both geeky and awesome . Then I zipped over to the Outdoor Science Park, where a life-size T‑Rex and Triceratops loomed over a fossil dig pit. Kids were scooping up "bones" while I dodged tennis balls flying from a launcher--science meets playground shenanigans . Later, I curled up in the cozy Treehouse Reading Nook, surrounded by bird chirps from the aviary above--a peaceful contrast to the chaos of color bombs and bouncing probes . The highlight, though? The Space Theater, a full‑dome planetarium that launched me from Earth to black holes in minutes--complete with dramatic music and enough stars to rival my ex's eyes . It's clear DHDC is more than a kids' museum--it's a playground for inquisitive minds of all ages. Traveling exhibits keep things fresh, and a recent "Beyond: Unity in Community" display even won a national award for celebrating Afghan culture . Educational programs, planetarium shows, story times, and even sci‑fi-style "KABOOM!" demos fill the calendar . By the end of my visit, my cheeks hurt from smiling, my head buzzed with fun facts, and I momentarily considered launching myself into orbit. Instead, I left with a grin, a handful of newfound cosmic trivia, and a plan to bring all my friends next time. Bottom line: Don Harrington Discovery Center is science with soul--equal parts spectacle and insight. Whether you're a kid, a curious adult, or just someone who likes lasers and dinosaurs (who doesn't?), this place throws the perfect brain party. read more

This place was great until they put a tribute to Afghanistan complete with minaret and the flag of Afghanistan in the middle of the center!! We appreciated the free entry for military but after seeing that, we will not be renewing our memberships and glad we didn't pay this time. We will NOT be returning. They spent all that money to honor Afghanistan. HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED!! read more

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I have not been before. My granddaughters were in town and I took them. They didn't want to leave! The park with the splash pad is great too. We will definitely go again. read more

Great discovery center for kids 1-8 with lots of interactive activities and various areas of interest including an 18months and under area. Two playgrounds (on site and just across the parking lot) also great for different ages and a beautiful park with lake, tables and walking trails. We experienced mid road trip and was perfect for getting wiggles out but looked liked a popular day out for locals as well. Reasonably priced with few additional costs inside. read more

Fun and interactive my 3 year old loved the place and all the spectacles it had to offer

Love their educational set up and the activities they have when schools go for field trips.

As a scientist, I'm going to have to give it low stars because a lot of their scientific information and their dating methods are not even close to being close. No scientist would write the stuff they put on their displays. They need to get some real scientist in there to rewrite all their plaques. And like other people stated a lot of their exhibits are broken and they've been broken for years and no one seems to want to work on them and fix them. there doesn't seem to be any maintenance People on staff to know anything about science or had the means to repair anything. They change out the exhibits every once in a while, but these exhibits are mostly full of government propaganda and fake science. I guess it's OK if you're bored and want to wonder around and get a few Good laughs at some of the fairytales, if you're an actual scientist. You might get to see a fish swimming around or a bearded dragon eating a melon I guess that's pretty fun and hard to mess that up with propaganda. read more

Kids had a blast! Easily could spend two hours here. Great for the windy cold day. We got the membership and will def travel up here often from Clovis, NM. read more

Definitely a cool place to take the kids to kill an hour or two. For younger kids they have a kinderstudio for them to run around and do some hands on activities in. There is even a mic and drums on stage for pretend play. I thought it was neat. Kind of looked like a fun day care area. There are some neat and interesting displays and hands on stuff for kids to check out and mess with. The kids enjoyed it and a lot of fun. There is also a playground on the west side of the center to take the kids to burn off some energy. read more

Don Harrington Discovery Center - Children's Museums Near Me - Amarillo, Texas

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We stopped during a family road trip. My kids really enjoyed all the interactive play. We loved everything about it, especially the tractors, the ant climbing wall, the different owl displays, and the huge interactive dinosaurs. They even have a toddler section where they have a bunch of activities to stimulate the mind and use imaginations. A really fun experience for the whole family. read more

Took our two year old son. He had a blast. A few exhibits were broken but all and all for the price it's worth a visit.

This place needs work. It seems like half the exhibits are broken. Some don't have instructions or explanations and I'm not a scientific expert. We were incredibly disappointed. There's so much to be learned here but my child didn't learn it due to its lack of upkeep and information. read more

This museum was rated well. I was very excited to go with my kids, but when we got there it cost us $27. That's with my veteran discount and one free 2 year old. Half of the interactive exhibits we're broken. There were a lot of older children and teenagers running around being rowdy and violent. The overall idea of the place was nice, but the lack of upkeep and the admission is the reason for my 2 star rating. read more

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We checked out the grossology exhibit kids had a blast. They still showing the same movie as always in the theater. I love this place it's great to see the kids interact with all the exhibits. read more

Don Harrington Discovery Center - Grossology it's fun - Children's Museums Near Me - Amarillo, Texas

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I adore the Don Harrington Discovery Center! I always loved this place as a kid, but a couple years ago we discovered their After Dark series of events - themed events for the adult geek that take place several times a year - always fun, tons of activities, music, lots of food, and open bar. The exhibits are always changing! They have the year-round displays but the main attractions change throughout the year so there is always something new to see. Whether you're looking for an educational, inexpensive activity for the kids, of if you're in the mood for a "not your typical date night" with your significant other, DHDC is sure to impress. read more

Took my 3 1/2 yr old and he loves this place. I just wish he was a little more independent. He needs to show me everything. On the one hand it facilitates his learning, the other hand, it tuckers out dad. :) This trip they had a gold discovery exhibit, last time was a medieval castle (about 3 months ago). So it seems if you plan to go every quarter, the kids will have some different things. They offer summer school classes for the older ones and the prices are very reasonable. Open M-Sa 9:30-430, Sun noon-430 during the summer, closed M during the school year. Overall, great experience and my son always asks if we are going to the museum. read more

Don Harrington Discovery Center - Play area designed for 7 and under. - Children's Museums Near Me - Amarillo, Texas

We use to live in Amarillo and came here a few times. Came back to visit and came to the discovery center. Very disappointed. Half of the science exhibits don't work, no staff to talk to you about the exhibits. Very disappointed. Upset I paid $50 for this. read more

We came specifically for the dinosaur exhibit, which their website says is still there. But it's not, which was disappointing. The rest of everything was pretty good though. read more

My five year old and nine year old spent a morning here recently on a stop on a cross-country road trip. I regret that we don't live closer. The exhibits were clean, working, abundant, and best of all, engaging. Some of our favorites were cracking the code on a treasure chest, arranging pipes for a ball to run through, watching a planetarium show on black holes, and shooting balls in the air by manipulating pressure. We went on a Monday (they are closed on Mondays during the school year) and had the place virtually to ourselves. Six thumbs up. read more

I was pleasantly surprised with all the exhibits and our 3 & 6 y/o stayed quite happy and busy. They loved the dino exhibit, especially the play area where they could dress up like different dinosaurs. I enjoyed the more scientific hands-on exhibits so much so that I kept telling my kids to wait until I finished "playing" :-) Take your kids over to the sneezing kiosk and sit them right by the holes on the side. But DON'T tell them what it's for! Press the buttons for different sneezes and watch their reaction when the "sneeze" shoots out of the side on them :-) If you are in Amarillo with kids, the Discovery Center is a must visit! read more

Didnt' have time to go into the center on our visit, yet we did go to the playground right next door and it is the BEST playground we have ever seen or been to! Has a splash pad, innovative rides, zipline for children, and natural looking and soft AstroTurf. Park is right on the river and next to the botanical gardens and the helium monument. It was so fun! Also, we saw nice accomodations for Handi-abled children. One of the parents at the playground told us that the Discovery center is really amazing and innovative also. read more

This place was super cute and just what we needed on our long road trip. Inexpensive fun, friendly staff, and plenty for my kids to get in to. There were a few things that were broken, and it was small but overall a good experience. I'd say that kids 2-10 would enjoy it the most. read more

We had a great time exploring the museum with our family. Great for kids and the young at heart. The many interactive learning exhibits will hold the attention of kids for hours. Afterwards, our kids enjoyed the wonderful outdoor playground located nearby. read more

Great place to take your kids! Fun for adults too. We enjoyed this museum on a Saturday morning when the weather was not great, and we would definitely go back! read more

This place is a must for those visiting the area with young kids. My kids are teenagers now but, they still like to visit when a new exhibit shows up. read more