Hands On Discovery Center — Attraction in Tennessee

I haven't been as a child, so I was looking forward to taking my kids here and experiencing with them what had changed. I understood that it isn't the same as the previous museum, I just did not expect the museum to be devoid of almost everything that made the original special. The biggest issue I have is with the staff being very unattentive to my children.

We would hear the announcement of an event happening in the art studio, or discovery lab. My children immediately want to check this out and get excited to rush to these areas. The first instance was when we arrived at the art studio. There was a young lady here readying the project for this period. My kids sit down, as we were a few minutes early. As soon as the next group of children walked in she started but blatantly excluded my children from the project. She only catered to the one table of children. My children did not feel welcomed and I told them to just work on something else. I let this slide. The next instance of this was at 3:30 for the discovery lab project. We were there on the dot waiting for someone to show up. I decided we would just look through the fossil exhibits and continue on. We come back to the discovery lab, 10 minutes later to find they are starting that project. Again my kids try to sit down and join but the young man here is only paying attention to the children at his table, not even motioning for my kids to join in. I did try to bring this up with a member of staff but their excuse was they are understaffed. Being understaffed does not excuse the rudeness of what staff you have. The people running these projects should be more welcoming to all children.

There was not going to be a third time. I was done. This place did not feel welcoming to my children let alone interactive enough for them. They say they have things for all ages, but these "Tot Spots" are a joke. Some of these spots had a few toys at them, but they seemed like they don't keep up with them. Things being thrown around, and lord knows if any of it is sanitized. The exhibits in the main are the only ones that evoke the original feel of the old museum, but it's just not enough to warrant the price of admission. Overall this place was disappointing, and the experience from staff ensured that I will not be...

I have refrained from posting a review for years, but am so disgusted by excuse after excuse by the staff that I feel I must warn parents and can no longer be silent. The Hands on Discovery Museum was awesome 30 years ago. It was meh 7 years ago, and has become an embarrassing blemish on this area since moving to Gray. Save your money. Stay away until someone with business and possibly fund raising experience is hired.

7.28.22 - Checked out the site to see if, hopefully, someone had tried to make some necessary changes. Saw yet another response full of jibber. Also saw that an organization promoting science is requiring masks. I understand that "medical professionals" are being coerced into that nonsense to retain their licenses, but an organization supposedly in the business of educating kids can, and should, do better. Best advice I can offer for the staff is visit Tellus in Cartersville, GA and/or the science museum in Hickory, NC. To be transparent, I don't know about Tellus, but I do know Hickory fell in line with the mask lie as well. They do, however, have incredible activities that may not be as cost-prohibitive as Tellus. As I sit here typing, it occurred to me that an intereactive exhibit demonstrating why masks and vaccines prevent nothing but good health has the potential to put this little center on the map. Taking the lead in honest instruction to our community and our children would be an exhilarating change to the lies permeating our world.

Pipedreams aside, however, a quick Google search can provide access to 200 years of science explaining the mask and vaccine lie. In just the last decade alone, researchers have been trying to explain why masks make no difference in infection rates in OR's, but informing them that germ theory is a myth that was exposed before the US was even a nation goes over about as well as this review. And it's hard to tell how many people have to be maimed and murdered by "vaccines" before anyone will be willing to tackle that lie head on so I guess...nothing will change. Our kids will continued to be dumbed down by the very organizations claiming to educate them because I don't have the funds to offer any competition.

Best of...

TL;DNR version: my daughter was more entertained by a balloon she found in the craft room than anything within the museum.

We've been to multiple children's museums and this is by far the worst one. My daughter is GREAT at pretend play. She'll spend hours at her kitchen at home, dress up, play doctor, etc. The only thing there that held her imagination for any length of time was the market. In other museums, she has spent nearly a half hour in one area, but not here. The hospital area has 3 interactive stations, and only the operation table (which was the biggest thing and only really usable by one kid at a time) was interesting enough to engage anyone to the point that two sisters were fighting over it because there was "nothing else to do". Things were so poorly maintained that I was able to reach in and pick up a chunk of chopped off paint that was the size of a golf ball (so a choking hazard). When I read there was a coal mine I expected there to be some kind of thing where they could pretend to mine foam lumps of coal. Nope. Just tunnels, a slide and some old equipment behind glass. There was an "ark" that was literally some taxidermied busts which (of course) you aren't supposed to touch - making no sense for a "hands on" place. The "bank" had no money (outside of a magnet boards with pictures), and the grocery store had two cash registers - both partially broken- with a whopping $11 between them. The bubble area is unsafe it was so slippery (which was surprising considering how none of the bubble things had enough stuff to actually make bubbles) with nothing there to help prevent slips and falls. My shoes had become so slippery from the bubble area I slid down the slight slope into the ladies room - which had a huge chunk of tiles missing behind the sink. Everything seemed poorly maintained. The thing that makes me willing to give two stars is that they have a make and create room with all kinds of stuff to craft with. Nothing super special in terms of materials, but it's a great idea and...