Young scientists will stretch their brains and emerge smarter at the Don Harrington Discovery Center with interactive and educational exhibits.  Get hands-on with engaging activities as kids learn about the galaxy and planets, animals and the natural world, STEM in our everyday lives, and build their own engineering feats.

The Don Harrington Discovery Center has a full-dome planetarium to transport guests across space and time to see the galaxy, learn about black holes, and stars and planets. Travel back in time to view ancient civilizations or the deepest parts of the oceans! The Space Theater shows are included in the general admission price. Check out their website for unique shows at different times. Now showing Zulu Patrol, Distant Worlds-Alien Life, Grossology & You, Sunstruck, and Saturn the Ring World.

Permanent exhibits

The Space Gallery explores weather conditions on Earth and our solar system. Watch data collection for weather conditions and explore weather phenomena.   Kids can learn about auroras, solar flares and cosmic rays on Earth.

Kinderstudio is designed for preschoolers for interactive and imaginative play with climbing structures, tumbling, performace stage, and hands-on materials such as blocks and popsicle sticks for creative building. Check out the Kinderstudio calendar for fun activities such as story time, live animals, art creations, and STEM activities.

The Critter Row exhibit features live animals, from a bearded dragon to friendly reptiles from all around the world. Kids will get an up-close encounter, and a Science Guide may let kids touch the animals.

Seasonal exhibits

Don’t miss special traveling exhibits that are at the museum for several months at a time. Visit the seasonal exhibit, Amazing Butterflies, as kids become a caterpillar and wiggle through a maze, transform into a butterfly, and fly down the butterfly zip slide. Kids learn about the amazing life cycle and the challenges that butterflies face every day. This exhibit is currently open now thorough August 31, 2020.

Bounce is a temporary exhibit that has 35 hands-on activity centers to discover the amazing ways a sphere can affect machines, planets, geometry, and physics! Kids will want to see the giant tennis ball launcher and a table top parabola.

Learn all about electricity in the interactive exhibit All Charged Up! Discover how electricity is created, explore careers in electricity, and how important electricity is for our daily life.

Kids will embrace their inner astronaut as they get hands-on in the Sun, Earth, Universe exhibit. Journey through the universe to learn about planets, NASA Science research, how Earth is changing, the secrets to the Sun, and what lies beyond our universe.   Kids will build a model spacecraft for their own mission to outer space, and pilot rovers across the Mars landscape play table.

The Nano exhibit looks at science on a supertiny scale, and kids can explore how different materials act differently as they get smaller and build a giant nanotube!

Imagination Playground embraces educational play, with giant foam blocks, wheels, spools, and tubes for kids to build unique structures and make their own inventions. This exhibit is fun for all ages, and preschoolers are introduced to the basics of science and engineering.

Special needs: Wheelchair accessible.  Everything is hands-on with lots of building opportunities. Some of the exhibits would need parent assistance to begin the activity.

Know Before You Go:

• Temporary hours due to Covid-19, check website for details.
• Closed Mondays. Closed Easter, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
• Summer hours vary.
• No food is available so plan accordingly.

Admisison: $9 for ages 3-17. Adults $14. Children 2 and under are free. Discounts for seniors, military and college students (bring ID).

Discounts: Member of Travel Passport Program for reciprocal museum membership. 

Don Harrington Discovery Center
1200 Streit Drive (located in Harrington Regional Medical Center)
Amarillo, TX 79106              
(806)355-9547
www.discoverycenteramarillo.org