Discovery Station facts for kids

The outside of Discovery Station in Hagerstown, Maryland.

Discovery Station is a fun, hands-on museum in downtown Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. It first opened its doors in 2005. The museum wants to make you curious about science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM). It does this through cool exhibits and programs.

The museum is in an old bank building. This building is right across from the Washington County Courthouse. During the Civil War, this bank held important federal money. You can even go inside the big old bank vault! Check out its huge glass door and all the gears. The building itself is very special, with its white marble and tall windows.

Thousands of people visit Discovery Station every year. It's a super popular place, especially for kids!

Explore Awesome Exhibits

Discovery Station has many exciting exhibits where you can learn by doing.

Robotics and Coding Fun

This area lets you build and program robots using LEGO MINDSTORMS® Education EV3s. You can even compete against friends in challenges! There's also a section that shows how robots are used in the real world. Plus, you can use Botley robots to learn basic coding skills.

Discover Dinosaurs

See a full-size model of a Triceratops skull! This exhibit also has fossil tracings and other activities. You can learn all about dinosaurs and their ancient world.

Journey to Space and Beyond

Look at a quarter-size model of the NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft. This exhibit also explores the future of space travel. Imagine what it would be like to live on Mars!

Race Car Derby Challenge

This hands-on exhibit has a giant race car track for toy cars. It's a fun way to learn about kinetic and potential energy. See how fast your car can go!

Builder's Nook Creations

In the Builder's Nook, you can construct amazing things. Use special blocks to build bridges, towers, and other structures. What will you create?

Hagerstown Aviation Adventures

Explore real airplane parts and electronics. See an experimental Papoose airplane built right in Washington County. You can even sit in the cockpit of a child-friendly Cessna 150! Take turns working the controls and imagine flying.

There's also a smaller model of a PT-19 trainer plane. This model was built by Jack Garrott, who flew a PT-19 during World War II.

The Titanic Story

See an exact model of the RMS Titanic at Discovery Station. This is one of the biggest models ever made of the famous ship! It took ten years to build. The model is over fifteen feet long and weighs 500 pounds. It even has tiny portholes, stained glass, and passenger figures.

This amazing Titanic model has been on TV and in magazines. It can even float and has been sailed by radio control!

Learn About Sustainability

Opened in 2016, this exhibit teaches you about renewable energy. You can explore how to use clean energy in your daily life. Learn how to become a "sustainable practitioner" for the future!

This exhibit has hands-on activities about:

• Recycling
• Solar Energy
• Waste Management
• Food Production
• Weather Forecasting

STEAM Machine Art Fun

This exhibit opened in 2017 and combines science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM). It helps you be creative!

In the Crafter-space, you can make crafts from recycled materials. You can also draw on a big chalkboard wall. There's an Art-space where you can paint and use markers too!

Imagination Station Library

Opened in 2018, this exhibit has a library full of books for all ages. You'll also find puzzles and other activities that help with reading and learning.

Discovery Town Adventures

Discovery Town opened in 2019. It helps young children learn important skills. These include getting ready for school, staying healthy and safe, and improving motor skills.

This exhibit features:

• Doctor's Office
• Veterinarian Office
• Dentist Office
• Fire Department
• Playground and Sensory-room

There's also the "Thomas Powell Construction Corner." It's named after a volunteer who built many of the museum's exhibits.

Little Sprouts Grocery Store

This exhibit opened in late 2019. It teaches kids two main things:

• Why good food is important for your body and brain.
• How to learn early math skills and understand money.

Families can learn together here. The exhibit has realistic examples of fruits, vegetables, and other foods. There are also two checkout lanes with cash registers. A "farm-to-table" section shows local products. The "Discover Savings" area helps kids learn about saving money and budgeting.

While kids play, parents can read special signs. These signs explain what skills children are learning and how to continue the fun at home. The name "Little Sprouts Grocery Store" was chosen by kids in a contest!

Exciting Programs

Discovery Station offers many fun programs throughout the year.

Regular Programs

The museum often holds science experiments and STEAM activities on Saturdays. These "STEAM-Saturday Programs" are usually hands-on and free with museum admission.

During the week, you can also enjoy "Animal Encounters." These are hosted by Wonderfully-wild.

Discovery Station also works with The Hub at UMSH on programs like "The Botley Coding Challenge."

There are also "Story-Time" programs, which usually happen on Wednesdays.

Helping During COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Discovery Station created and shared virtual programs. They worked with local groups to give out 3,000 STEAM kits to families. These kits were given out in the summer of 2020.

As part of this, Discovery Station went "Live" on Facebook every Wednesday. They would review the week's kit and have a special story-time with Ms. Abigail from the Washington County Free Library.

How Discovery Station Works

Discovery Station at Hagerstown, Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization. This means it's a charity that helps the community. It was started on July 5, 1996.

Fun Fundraisers

Discovery Station holds several events each year to raise money. This helps them pay for operations, new programs, and creating new exhibits.

• Taste of Vegas, Casino Night: This event is an evening of casino games held at the Maryland Theater in Hagerstown.
• Surgeons vs. Chefs: This is a pumpkin carving competition between local surgeons and chefs. It takes place at the Springfield Barn in Williamsport, MD.