Creative Discovery Museum

A Chattanooga museum aims to stimulate the minds of children through interactive play. 

The Creative Discovery Museum is a hands-on children’s museum that provides educational programs and exhibits in the arts and sciences. The museum draws nearly 260,000 guests every year to visit the permanent and temporary exhibits.

The exhibits cater to not only children, but families, parents, teachers, caregivers, schools and organizations that serve children. Once inside the building, visitors have access to art lessons, science demonstrations, story times and what the museum calls “spur of the moment” activities. The art lessons change monthly and are offered by trained instructors. Science demonstrations change two to three times each year and feature subjects such as liquid nitrogen, light, bugs and health. The “spur of the moment” activities might include bringing a snake into the museum’s atrium for a true hands-on experience.

The interactive galleries cater to children between toddler age and 10 years old. The visual arts gallery allows children to design, sculpt, draw and create multimedia pieces. 

The Excavation Station may only look like a pile of dirt, but this exhibit allows kids to dig and discover the science of things found underground. 

Children play "doctor" at the Corner Clinic exhibit. To help children become more comfortable with doctors’ visits, young visitors explore a realistic doctor’s office equipped with an examination table and all the tools used during doctors’ appointments.
 

The Performing Arts Gallery features a variety of instruments from which kids can choose to play. From steel pans to player pianos to stringed instruments, children slip into musical mode and even record their voices in the recording studio. 

To extend access to those who can’t afford admission into the museum, the museum offers free admission to the community for two days during the week before Christmas. Free tickets are also distributed to various social service agencies. 

The museum also hosts several programs throughout the year for children with disabilities as well as an interactive exhibit that emphasizes disability awareness.

The museum is open every day during the summer, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tickets to the museum are $9.95 for adults and children. Membership to the museum, that includes unlimited annual visits, start at $85. Certain discounts apply if you pay a visit to the Tennessee Aquarium. 

Parking options include parking lots and parking garages located near the facility. Parking rates vary, but typically range from $5-$8.

- by Leah M. Caudle , Chattanooga Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Leah M. Caudle

Leah Caudle is a professional storyteller with experience in covering local, community and feature stories. While at newspapers such as The Tennessean in Nashville and The Lexington Herald-Leader in Lexington, Ky., Caudle also has experience in shooting and editing videos and photos to accompany stories. The Western Kentucky University graduate received degrees in print journalism and Spanish in 2007 and also has expertise in the areas of public relations, copy editing and proofreading.