Discovery Gateway facts for kids
Discovery Gateway is an exciting, hands-on children's museum located in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. It used to be called The Children's Museum of Utah (TCMU). The museum has over 60,000 square feet of space filled with cool exhibits. You can find Discovery Gateway at 444 West 100 South, inside The Gateway shopping and entertainment area.
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History of Discovery Gateway
The Children's Museum of Utah first started in 1978. It opened its doors to visitors in 1983. For many years, TCMU was located in an old building north of downtown Salt Lake City.
Early Days and Growth
The museum began with just eight exhibits. Some of these early exhibits included digging for dinosaur bones and exploring a real airplane cockpit! There was also a cool "frozen bubble box" using dry ice. By 1998, the museum had grown a lot. It had 140 permanent exhibits and much more public space.
Moving to a New Home
It became clear that the old building was too small. So, the museum decided to move and get bigger to serve more kids. In 2002, people in Salt Lake County voted to help fund the move. A new, larger building was planned in the Gateway District. Construction on the new museum began on September 22, 2005. Less than a year later, on September 16, 2006, the museum opened in its new spot. It officially changed its name to Discovery Gateway.
Awesome Exhibits to Explore
Everything at Discovery Gateway is made for kids to learn and have fun. All the exhibits are interactive, meaning you can touch and play with them!
Second Floor Adventures
On the second floor, you'll find the Garden. Here, you can play music together on a giant marimba. You can also make a huge machine hum or watch how pennies add up in a "penny drop." Right next to the Garden is Kid's Eye View. This is a kid-sized town where you can pretend to shop in the Market. You can also build things in the Construction Zone or feed animals on the Utah Family Farm. Inside Kid's Eye View, there's a special area called Hatch, Waddle, and Fly. This spot is just for children under three years old.
Third Floor Fun
The third floor has the Story Factory. In this area, you get to be the director! You can put on a play, draw your own comic strip, or even make a stop-motion animated film. Also on the third floor is the Studio. This is where science, invention, and art come together. The museum's outdoor terrace is home to Saving Lives From The Sky. This exhibit features a real Intermountain Healthcare Life Flight helicopter. You can learn all about rescue operations there.
Special Traveling Exhibits
Discovery Gateway has a special gallery that hosts rotating exhibits. These exhibits come from museums all over the country. Past special exhibits have included "Robots: The Interactive Exhibition" and "Sesame Street Presents: The Body."
Exciting Programs and Classes
Discovery Gateway offers many programs that explore science, art, and history. Workshops and classes are designed for children from birth up to 12 years old.
Daily Classes and Workshops
Early Childhood Education classes happen every day in the Curiosity Shop. These classes help kids practice their fine and gross motor skills. Programs and workshops for older kids take place in the Workshop Room. These often connect to the museum's exhibits. Discovery Gateway prints a calendar of classes each month.
Sensory Inclusive Afternoons
In 2012, Discovery Gateway started "Sensory Inclusive Afternoon." During these times, they dim the lights and lower the noise. This makes the museum more welcoming for children who are autism friendly or have sensory sensitivities.
Concerts and Events
During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the museum began a virtual concert series. The next year, they started having outdoor, in-person concerts too.
Reaching Out to Communities
Discovery Gateway also has an outreach program. It offers a chemistry program called Reaction Time. This program is available to every 5th-grade class in Utah. Over 55,000 children from every county in Utah have learned from this program!
Junior Achievement City
Discovery Gateway works with Junior Achievement of Utah to run Junior Achievement City. This is a special program that helps school groups learn about money and careers. It's the only place like it within 700 miles of Salt Lake City! Junior Achievement City offers hands-on experiences. Kids can learn about economics, how businesses work, different job options, and managing their own money. Junior Achievement City is on the fourth floor of the museum. It is currently open only for school groups.
