We loved our visit to the Discovery Museum in Reno! We only had about an hour before closing, so it was a bit rushed--but even in that short time, we had so much fun exploring all the different areas. Heads up: the gift shop closed before we could grab anything, and the closing announcements were pretty firm--if you weren't already in line, it was a no-go. Totally fair, just something to keep in mind when planning your visit! There are so many exhibits that we definitely had to move quickly, but it was still 100% worth it. Pro tip: save the downstairs water feature for last--it's an absolute blast for the whole family! As a special needs family, we felt really comfortable here. Our 5-year-old loved the freedom to walk and explore, and our 1-year-old had a great time in the littles area and with the water play. The huge cloud play structure looked amazing, but we skipped it since there's only one way in and out--just didn't feel like the right call for us this time. Bonus: let your kids take the stairs to burn off energy! But if you've got a stroller, wheelchair, or just want an easier route, elevators are available too. Overall, such a fun spot--we'll definitely be back (with more time next time)! read more

I will say the kiddos love this place. We have been twice. Before I wanted to get a membership, but now seeing how it is. I am happy thay we just go once in a while. The museum is not very large and most of our kiddos love the Truckee river exhibit as they play there more. It could be the age. Just bring some spare clothes or a towel as they may be drenched. As they get older they may like to do the other exhibits more. They have lego, space, anatomy, physics, and engineering zones. They also have a lab with daily activities. The amazing part is there are plenty of things to do. The downside is the parking lot gets packed fast, but thats a good thing. So give yourself time if looking for a spot. Its super cool for the kiddos and there is even a cute little toddler playground. So please enjoy the space and time. read more

Was a parent chaperone of four+ kindergartners today at the Discovery Museum. Staff have students arriving by bus and set to tour the museum down to a fine science. We were greeted at the bus with colored bracelets for each teacher's classroom. Everything is planned from arrival, lab time, lunchtime, departure, and the free time in between. It was a great visit. The kids had a wonderful time! They learned about vortices, electrical circuits, built group and individual Legos, thoroughly enjoyed seeing the Lego sculptures and displays, and built their own Lego habitats in their Lab experience. Thanks to all for making this fabulous educational experience possible. 5 Stars read more

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Always a great experience at the Discovery Museum. An enriching experience for kids and adults, the Master Brick exhibit is so much fun to check out and interact with. You can race to put together specific legos, checkout the lab to create your own habitat, and much more. The cloud climbing area seems to be every kids favorite, along with the stars and galaxy exhibit on the same floor. So many interactive spaces for kids to learn with hands on experiences. Affordable and fun, the museum offers free field trips to all Title I schools, as well as interactive summer camps for all ages. Check out their page for more information! Super grateful to have such a unique resource for kiddos in town. An Italian restaraunt by the name of Pasta Fresca is now located next door if visitors would like to enjoy fresh, homemade pasta dishes for lunch also. read more

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We came here since the weather conditions for skiing weren't favorable. While this place is not huge, their exhibits are great and everyone enjoyed their hands on activities. From making box cars to learning about human anatomy and space, this is a great place for everyone to explore and learn. read more

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Had a blast as usual. So much to see. Loved interacting with all the food vendors. They were so nice. Explained all of their dishes. So much to try. It was great trying the new vendors I haven't tried before. I think my favorite was the cotton candy. Its the kid in me. Really like the non alcoholic drinks. Definitely something for everyone. Its been years since I had been to the discovery museum. read more

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My kids are about to go into middle school and we have been coming here for ten years. The thing I really appreciated about this trip with them was the maker space. They were able to use tools like cardboard cutters and hot glue guns to create whatever they wanted to. The creative outlet in the quiet room was a much needed retreat from the loud hustle of all the other rooms with spring break camps going on. One son made a skateboard, one made a pterodactyl and I made a Weiner dog. As an early childhood teacher I'd like to make the suggestion to move from typical "low temp" glue guns to "cool tool" variety, which is are significantly less hot. I know, I used them with my four year olds. I encourage the museum to get one and do an experiment to see the difference. While there I heard many people, including adults and my own son, reel from the hot glue on this skins. read more

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Honest kiddo reviews: Do it!!! For the kids! 5/5 So thankful I decided to come in today.... I haven't been in the discovery in years and I can simply say that it's an amazing experience didn't remember... From the 5 and under play place for kiddos, it's amazing to have a place where they can play and explore creativity with other children and get to experience so many sensory pleasing experiences that help stimulate children's creativity and energy. Then you have tech, as well as knowledge for adults to thrive in as well while kids play with stem toys and explore their engineering minds.. Simply amazing to have a place like this for children to find more of their creative nature. read more

The Discovery - 5 and under area - Museums Near Me - Reno, Nevada

My granddaughter loves this place. Tonight they had a social event for Yelp reviewers. Folks in costume with a DJ. Dozens of local eateries and food trucks had samples available. Actually ran into some friends from a local bar. read more

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Oh what A night the yelp all stars and the yelp elite and all these wonderful restaurants that serves so many wonderful dishes and drinks they went beyond anything I ever imagined I can't name one restaurant that served the best cause every one of them served some of the most delicious food and desserts and candy and drinks so a big applause to all of them to make this event such a great experience at the discovery museum thank you thank you and thank you read more

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We love this museum and were thrilled when our 3-year-old was gifted a year membership. Unfortunately, every time we visit, it feels overwhelmingly crowded, making it hard for him to enjoy. On weekends, there's barely any elbow room, and on weekdays, multiple school field trips happen at once. The exhibits and water play area become chaotic, and I find myself more focused on keeping him safe than letting him explore. Many older kids run wild with little supervision, snatching toys and pushing past younger ones, while their parents are often preoccupied with their phones or reading on a bench. I really wish there were designated times for younger kids to play safely. Until then, we'll have to be very selective about when we visit. read more

The Discovery - Museums Near Me - Reno, Nevada

Please take your kids here! Take yourself here! Learning through play is one of the best ways to get children ready to learn. The discovery has some many different activities for all afi ranges and my kids (5 & 13) have some much fun when we go!! Plus it's indoor so for this summer heat, it's a perfect afternoon activity! read more

This is a very good children's science museum. I was concerned it might be "too young" for my teenagers, but they were right at home with the content. Here are some highlights: 1. There is a water table exhibit on the basement floor that shows how Lake Tahoe delivers water to the Truckee River and then Pyramid Lake. That was a lot of fun to experiment with little boats and moving rocks around and opening gates on the river. There's also a climbing into the clouds exhibit alongside, but my kids were too big to climb. Looked amazing for smaller bodies though! 2. There's an Astronomy room on the basement floor as well where you can build a container to go into space, including equipment, energy source, communication devices, and then you test it on a table to see if it can survive the rocking and rolling of getting into space. Very enjoyable for both teenagers. 3. The Mindbender Mansion had tons and tons of puzzles for all age groups. It was fun for at least an hour. Highly recommended for adults and kids. My only suggestion would be more places for adults to sit while kids play. There were a few places, but if I could have sat down for a bit longer, the teenagers would have stayed a lot longer. read more

Such a great experience. We had friends in town with kiddos. So we headed over there and spent about 3hrs roaming around into each room. Lots of great exhibits and interactive rooms for kids (and adults) to explore and play. The bottom level has a cool display of the Truckee River water flow from Tahoe and a huge climbing "tree" that lots of kids were going up and down in. I'd highly recommend this experience. It was a great time and there's a gift shop. They also have a private parking lot. read more

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My 3 yo loves this place to death... for the cheap annual membership it's kinda a no-brainer weekend spot for them to burn a few hours and learn stuff! :) read more

Loved this place! We came here while vacationing. Our little one loved every minute of it. Unlike some of the kid museums in California, most of the items were functional here hahah It wasn't super crowded on weekend which was nice and we got to take our time doing all the activities. The only downside would be the cost but worth it every penny. read more

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I just had a blast last night at The Discovery Museum downtown. I attended Yelp's greatest event, "Beyond The Bite." I got to sample so many different types of food! There was cotton candy that was being made near the entrance, which I just couldn't resist! I followed the crowd of Yelpers downstairs and there were amazing samples of delicious foods, such as pizza, Greek cuisine, Hawaiian cuisine, specialty types of drinks with delicious flavors and juices and of course the great music when you enter, Spider Man is dancing and he took my hand and did a high-five. Everyone was having such a great time. I will definitely have to go back to The Discovery Museum! It's located at 490 S. Center Street Reno, Nevada The museum offers interactive science exhibits and a play area for toddlers. I checked their hours. They are currently open from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. The main exhibits are frequently changed. There are puzzles to solve, which are challenging and fun. It's a great way to enjoy science with your family or just come with a friend or by yourself. Enjoy! read more

The Discovery - This is an example of what the Discovery Museum's main exhibits look like. - Museums Near Me - Reno, Nevada

Always great for the young kids. Water play in Lake Tahoe, rope tower to climb, 5 and under play area with toy car to fix, building blocks. Most recently with an anatomy section. read more

The Discovery - Fixing cars - Museums Near Me - Reno, Nevada

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my kids, wife, and I love this children's museum and visit frequently. there are plenty exhibits from the human body, green energy, conservation, arts and crafts, dinosaurs, water, conservation, etc. The update the museum every few months. we also provide birthday party celebrations and they have a store and a sitting area for lunch. Multiple times during the day they provided an entertaining scientific demonstration. read more

Kids had a blast, lots of interactive things for both adults and kids. Drop by if you're bored and have nothing else to do in Reno! read more

The Discovery - Museums Near Me - Reno, Nevada

This place is awesome! We were staying in Reno, after going to the snow and this was the best thing we did the whole trip, including the snow! The employees were as sweet at cream, there were puppies, and so many kid activities! 1000% recommend, and will return anytime we are in Reno. Wish we had something like this near me. The bathrooms were clean and accessible to families on every floor, which is always appreciated. They had a science demo which was hands on and all the kids participated. Everything is hands on, which was super cool. So much more fun than we expected! read more

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This was a fun place to bring my 7 year old. There were plenty of different themed activity rooms we could explore on our own at our own pace. My son loved the interactive rooms where he could touch and look at all the displays. It's a fun learning experience that we could spend several hours at and probably will be back at some time in the future. The staff were friendly and helpful. The entry price was very reasonable, and unless you buy stuff from the gift shop which could be a bit pricy. We look forward to coming back! read more

A super fun hands on age appropriate experience for kids of all ages including grown ups. The displays change regularly and they even have various meeting rooms for private events and parties. Strong community support keep this center going and they have a variety of entry fees based on your interest. We got a pass to bring grandkids. read more

The Discovery - That's me - Museums Near Me - Reno, Nevada

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What a great way to spend an afternoon with young minds! Okay I'm a grandpa and I found myself engulfed in some of the puzzles and fascinated by the scientific displays! There are lots and lots of things to keep kids of all ages busy! It is educational and fun! There is a seasonal area to make it easy to return and keep kids interested in what's new. There is even a craft building area! Stop by the gift shop to get some cool toys and science based kits as well! read more

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Visited the kids museum during their survival of the slowest exhibit. They open at 10 am, Kids tickets $11 and adults are $13. (Side note you can purchase tickets as gifts for birthdays, holidays, anniversaries etc.) The museum has two levels and is very open. We especially like the play area under 5 because it allows the kids to use their imagination! My son enjoyed seeing the animals and running around from room to room. We can't wait to come back ! read more

The Discovery - Museums Near Me - Reno, Nevada

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Had so much fun taking my little lady here. She has dementia, aphasia, and macular degeneration. I love taking her places where she can see vivid things, watch the children laugh, and play. We did some hands-on stuff, watched some videos, and learned some new things. It was very busy and loud due to all of the kids being on Christmas break . Next time, we'll try going when the kids are back in school. Wonderful place for kids and adults. read more

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After many trips to Reno in the past few years I am so glad we finally visited this museum. There is fun and learning for all ages from baby to 100. I brought my 1 and 6 year old to the musuem thinking we'd only stay for 2 or 3 hours but ended up staying all day until they closed! We visited all of the learning environments and gained a little more knowlege from each room. My son got to hold a lizard, watch the sloth feeding, feed a turtle and participate in an "oobleck" science experiment. We explored science in the areas of living repiles, anatomy, electricity, motion, light, sound, outer space and art. There is also a toddler playroom with a play structure, car garage, mining area and more. I LOVED that all the exhibits have hands on activities with age appropriate and easy understand descriptions. Lastly, on the bottom level is a very large replica of the Truckee landscape with river flowing and cloud climber. Now that we've been once, I'm sure we'll be back again. I would much rather spend my time and money at this museum than the casino arcade. read more

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Great space for kids. Clean. Interesting and educational rotation exhibits. Gem of a spot downtown.

I took a tween here and was frankly expecting to kind of dread it, but it was so fun for both of us!! What a great place for the community.

I spent the better part of my day here with my kids. I love that there's something for all ages here. I miss when my oldest had these same curious eyes as my toddler. I love that we can all learn every time we're here. We had a blast from building a habitat, learning about the different types of energy to exploring outer space. Before we knew it; 4 hours flew right by. I think I know where my next birthday party will be hosted. On our visits here, staff has always been fairly friendly. Thank you, Discovery!This mom appreciates you giving my kids educational fun! We'll be back soon! read more

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GO-TO WHEN VISITING RENO WITH THE KIDS This experience is inclusive to children and adults of all ages. You enter on the second floor where there are rooms designated for different exhibits, activities, and children of certain ages. My kids are under 2 years old but we were still able to visit and interact with every room in The Discover. During the time we went, they had a special mental health exhibit, which I, as an adult, enjoyed going through and learning from. On the lower level of the building are more rooms and a water play/playgroundish area. We spent nearly three hours playing in The Discover and not for a second were we bored. When we went, there was a field trip of nearly 100 fifth graders. Upon checking in, the lady at the front desk was very nice to warn us that it may get very loud and overstimulating for our kids and that if we couldn't handle it at that time, we were welcome to come back any time of the day. This will always be on the itinerary when visiting my in-laws in Reno. read more

The Discovery - Museums Near Me - Reno, Nevada

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This was a pretty nice museum for kids and family to explore. It's not as big as other children's museums we've been to, & it's all indoor, but it has some cool features. We really enjoyed the Truckee Connects water area and the Cloud Climber. Some areas were very hands on, and we had fun in the Mindbender Mansion. Kids of different ages can appreciate different things. Lots of different kinds of info to browse. Several "out of order" signs here & there were a bummer. The Under the Stars room seemed too dark. Staff upfront was nice. There is a cute gift shop. Restrooms seemed well-maintained. Hand sanitizer dispensers were located throughout. read more

My son loved this place. I was a little disappointed with how expensive it was ($27 for me and a 4 year old). (**updated after faulty remembering, still is expensive since there was only one area he could really participate in**) Glad we could bring our own food and drinks and make a day out of it, which I did. We came on a day with a field trip of 5th graders but that didn't really impact our visit. Would recommend it just a little expensive considering most of what was there was over my son's head and outside of his understanding. read more

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Review specifically for the adult night event! We attended the Social Science Freakshow event last night and overall had a great time! Really enjoyed the special event exhibits and activities (I mean I can't say I would've tried 3 varieties of crickets and ants anywhere else!) as well as exploring the traditional offerings. $25 for admission plus two drinks and food felt extremely reasonable! Only drawback was the number of people, so minus one star for that. I wish they would've sold like, 25% fewer tickets. Lines for a couple of the activities were suuuper long and we spent like 40 minutes in just one, and didn't even have time for another. For an event that's only 3 hours, it's a pretty large portion of the time. But overall, a great time and we'd probably come back for another! read more

The Discovery - Frankenstuffy activity - Museums Near Me - Reno, Nevada

The kid loves it here. They have $5 Wednesday after 4 so it's perfect in the winter to keep the kids entertained read more

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The Earth Day Reno Group I volunteered for this past year hosted a private party/appreciation dinner for it's sponsors and volunteers. Our group had the whole venue to ourselves after hours on a Saturday. Pretty spanky, huh? Great place to bring kids, little and big kids, as the museum is interactive and very informative. The space is huge, so kids can run around in a safe place, get their energy out, making it a great place for moms and dads too. Our event was catered and there was a place where food could be heated up, then served in a private dining room. Great place to host parties for families with children. Cool exhibits. My favorite exhibit were the rocks of Northern Nevada and also the parts of the body. Cool souvenir shop. I don't think it was open for our event though. read more

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Kiddo loved it. There were lots of campers released to explore when we were there but hey... summer camp/break is a thing. Lots of a variety of exhibits. Some more interesting to the 5 year old than others. The truckee river display (obviously... water), the outer space room, the da Vinci room and the little kid section all took up a large chunk of our visit. Joined as we will def be regularly going there to learn, explore and have fun. Props to the scientist man that did the fog ring experiment for everyone. It reminded me of the caterpillars smoke rings in Alice in Wonderland. read more

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Great place to bring the kids . Seemed like they offered classes for children as we seen various rooms filled with kids and colored coordinate shirts. They have a gift shot to purchase a bunch of interesting games for children. I did not see a place to buy food such as a cafeteria however, we stayed in the main play area areas. read more

With interactive exhibits and displays the discovery museum is perfect for kids and adults. While not an adults museum so to speak I cannot tell you how many time I find myself playing and interacting with the exhibits while our daughter plays. We purchased a museum membership this past year and our favorite thing to do is go on Wednesday morning for the small wonders time. This is a special time for under 5 to enjoy the museum at a slower pace. The adult nights look ABSOLUTELY amazing and hopefully we can partake in the after hours fun A must-visit destination that combines fun and education in an exceptional way. read more

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Hosting a private event at The Discovery is the best idea you could ever have! If you know me, you know I've hosted several myself, but I finally got to attend one as a guest and it was an absolute blast! For starters, it's an interactive museum and there's fun around every corner, whether you're a kid or an adult, or an adult there with a kid. The exhibits are all so engaging, and they're advanced enough for absolutely anyone to have fun. The space is massive. For really large groups that means plenty room to spread out and plenty of space to setup whatever you may need for your guests. During these pandemic times this is extremely nice because you can social distance and everyone can feel comfortable. There are several smaller private rooms too that can be used for the event. During the party I attended one housed all the food and another was setup with an experiment and activity lead by the museum! Lastly, they added a beautiful state and light setup in the recent past and that can be made available for events as well. Basically this is a turn key venue in a lot of ways and when you book here you know you're supporting an important institution in the community! read more

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