Cindy Baker
We have been wanting to visit Discovery Park ever since we heard about it when it was first built, and we were not disappointed. Discovery Park of America, located near Reelfoot Lake in West Tennessee, has something for all ages. According to their website, the mission of Discovery Park of America is to inspire children and adults to see beyond. From the 100,000-square-foot museum to to beautifully landscaped 50 acre heritage park outside, there is such a wide variety of interesting nature, science, technology, history, and art displays and hands-on activities that there really is something for everybody. From history to space exploration, Discovery Park of America aims to inspire you to see beyond and provide a greater understanding of our world – past, present and future. The park is located in Union City, TN so if you live in the area, it is an easy day trip from Nashville, Memphis, Jackson, and Dyersburg in Tennnessee and Paducah and Murray in Kentucky. Read to the end to watch our video.
We decided we did not want to get up early for the drive, so we went up from Memphis the night before and stayed overnight in Martin, TN. If you are ever in Martin, TN and are not on a diet try a cool restaurant we found called The Grind. It is a mac n’ cheese burger bar with lots of original unique menu items such as their creative milkshakes.
Museum
The museum showcases ten exhibit galleries focused on topics like Native American history, the military, natural history, regional history, science, space technology, art, transportation and more. Here is a list of experiences from their website:
- Theater simulation of the 1811-12 earthquakes that contributed to creating the beautiful landscape in this region
- 20,000-gallon aquarium revealing the underwater life of Reelfoot Lake
- Dinosaurs, fossils and prehistoric artifacts
- Military equipment, vintage automobiles and an actual Titan I missile ready to launch
- Interactive displays focused on science, technology, engineering and math – and dozens more hands-on experiences. Enjoy some of my museum photos below:
Heritage Park
The 50-acre outdoor heritage park includes a man-made river flowing through the extensively-landscaped property, along with waterfalls, bridges and other water features. Here is a list of visitor experiences from their website:
- Reproduction of a turn-of-the-century town with a working gristmill, windmill and one-room school house
- Japanese, European and American gardens
- Authentic 120-year-old church
- Vintage train station and depot with locomotive, cars and caboose to explore inside and out
- Liberty Hall including a replica of the Liberty Bell
- One-of-a-kind, nature-inspired playground experience featuring a PlayOdyssey Tower, log steppers, log balance beams, hillside climbers, slides and a mini zip line
- Ag Center showcasing the agricultural traditions and heritage of this region
- Log cabins, farm buildings, equipment and family items providing a glimpse into rural life in the 1800s Enjoy some of my Heritage Park (outside the museum) photos below:
Discovery Park America is open Tuesday – Sunday. We found it to be very reasonably priced. For more information info@discoveryparkofamerica.com I hope you enjoy our little video:
On our way home we stopped by Reelfoot Lake to take some photos. I had never been there. The lake was formed from the violent New Madrid earthquakes of 1811-1812. The mighty Mississippi River flowed backwards for three days. How strange! The lake looks pretty cool, because there are Cypress trees growing up out of it. Below are a few pics.
Here’s a short video of Reelfoot Lake:
What is your favorite museum? Leave a comment below.
