We often talk about the big successes at Discovery Place and we are very proud of those. But, it is the little things that happen here every day -- the small moments when we connect with a child or an adult and inspire them to see the world differently or give them an “aha!” moment – that embody our organization’s mission of igniting wonder.

One of the most popular exhibits in Discovery Place right now is Kapla. The response that these simple wooden building planks have generated from our visitors has been amazing. During a high school group’s visit to Discovery Place not too long ago, a contest to build the tallest tower out of Kapla Blocks broke out between classmates and quickly escalated to an intense competition. Circles of chanting, cheering,... Keep reading.

As part of Target's corporate commitment to education, the national retailer is awarding 5,000 grants of up to $800 each for school field trips. Applications can be submitted online and the deadline is November 3, 2009. Click here for more information about this opportunity to beat school budget blues!

Target Field Trip Grants

Every autumn we are captured by color. But is it only color? There is also form, contemplation of sequence and order in the world which capture us too. Looking from a distance at the edge of a pine tree or more closely at the margin of a leaf, you will notice an undulate (toothed, notched, or wave‑edged). Resin ducts or twigs, the mineral Halite (salt) and Galena (lead ore) are cubes. Needles, twigs, human fingers, are cylinders. Leaf and wood fibers are lattices, and the cells in wood, needles, and blood are spheres or spheroids. If the sun shines just right, the shadow of a tree forms a rough circle or ellipse on the forest floor. When you look at any living thing as a whole, it is a composite of many geometric shapes or patterns — the composite. Are we not also a part of... Keep reading.

A major part of the Museum’s $31.6 million renovation is the development of all-new interactive science and technology exhibits. We are excited by the opportunity to reinvent Discovery Place with exhibits and activities that are topical and contemporary. The first new exhibition areas will open over Thanksgiving on Level 2 when we re-open this section of the Museum.

Check back on the website, become fan on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or sign up for our eNewsletter to get all the latest news about the new exhibitions.

Right now, we continue to showcase Shipwreck! Pirates & Treasure, hands-on activities like simple machines and Kapla, and KidsPlace. In addition, the Show Zone is filled with live programs and demonstrations. Special renovation admission prices of $7 per... Keep reading.

Discovery Place’s aquarium is currently undergoing a major renovation as part of the Museum’s overall redesign. A diverse, new aquarium filled with tanks up to twice as large as the old aquarium will open in June 2010.

So, what happened to all the fish that used to live at Discovery Place?

Many of them were donated to other science centers and aquariums around the country. Some found homes in Hickory, some in Myrtle Beach and some went as far away as Houston and Boston. Our electric eel has found a temporary home at the Catawba Science Center but will be re-adopted when the aquarium reopens.

Some of the freshwater fish were reunited with old family as they were donated back to the local aquarium who first donated the fish to Discovery Place.

There are tropical... Keep reading.