my kids & Family
the new discovery children’s museum Opens Downtown in Symphony Park by AnnaKay Johns
It’s finally here! The Discovery Children’s Museum has opened at the Donald W. Reynolds Discovery Center in a 58,000 square foot, three story building. The new museum is state of the art with nine hands on exhibits that combine science, art, culture, nutrition, fun and learning into one extraordinary place. No matter what age you are, you will take something away from the experience. Whether you learn something new about water pressure, discover your artsy side or realize you are strong enough to lift a car using a pulley, it’s a day you will never forget. As soon as you enter the museum you notice the impressive Summit tower that extends up all three levels and even peeks through the roof. It is definitely a must that you climb to the very top and experience one of the best views of the city. Don’t worry, getting to the top is an adventure with games and activities along the way. Of course there are stairs to every level, but you may just prefer to 44 • MyVegasMag.com
Photo Credit: Phil Cox use the multi level slides and climbing tubes to move up and down. While on the first floor make sure to visit Water World and yes, plan on getting wet! The museum does provide waterproof ponchos and aprons if you prefer. Water World has an interactive model of the Hoover Dam and a water vortex that will whirl around then spin out the plastic balls you can drop in. Other play stations allow you to use water cannons to make music by shooting streams of water at wind chimes, or you can fit together plastic tubes to change the flow of the water. There are lots of different water experiments to participate in. Next-door is Fantasy Festival where you enter a realm of costumes, theatre, puppets and make believe. Jump aboard the pirate ship, grab the wheel and sail off on a quest for treasure. Make sure you use the interactive treasure map to plot your course to the “X marks the spot” treasure island. On to the next adventure, the medieval castle, with lots of
costumes for princes and princesses and a throne room for the king. If you prefer a more modern story, then it’s off to the working stage with lights, props, curtains and more costumes for the stars. Of course if you just want to be an audience member, there are bench seats for that too. Through Fantasy Festival is the entrance to Toddler Town for the visitors under 5 to safely explore and play. There are several different table activities for little hands and a couch to sit and listen to a book. Toddlers can also play on an activity center with a slide and a train, and then use a wheel barrel to haul beanbag rocks to overhead buckets. The Crawl Zone is for the very smallest guests; it’s fully enclosed with hands-on age appropriate activities. After Toddler Town, head up to the second level where there is a 5,000 square foot space, featuring temporary exhibits that will travel from other museums around the country. The exhibit space opened with “George Washing-