Reno Discovery Museum for Children

The Reno Terry Lee Wells Discovery Museum has had more than 175,000 visitors since it opened last year on September 10 2012.  It is located downtown Reno at 490 South Center Street, in the old Reno City Hall.  They are open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays thru Friday, Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays 12 to 5 p.m.  Cost is $8 per person and children under 1 are free. On Wednesday after 4 p.m. it is $4 through 2012. Memberships start at $85 for a family.  Their phone number is 775-786-1000 and their website is www.nvdm.org.

The museum is part of the Association of Children’s of Science-Technology Centers, which allows members free reciprocal admission to other centers around the world.  One visitor traveled all the way from Osaka Japan to visit the museum.  Centers must be more than 90 miles away from your home institution but includes places such as the Children’s Museum in San Francisco and the Science and Space Center in Sacramento.  Each have their own policies so do check before you go.

Some of the permanent galleries range in topics from Nevada’s History, to green energy and construction, to the life of Leonardo Da Vinci.  Every- thing is hands on and meant to be explored, manipulated, created and discovered.  The galleries are ever changing and on the weekends the museum offers family classes on topics that range from cookie decorating to DNA extraction.

One interesting fact about Reno is that the Truckee river flows away from the ocean, starting at Lake Tahoe it flows to Pyramid lake and the museum has a 85ft model displaying this. It also has The Cloud Climber which is  three stories tall, has 44 platforms and more than three miles of cable netting.  The Newmont Mining tire at the museum weighs 8,900 pounds and was an actual tire used at the mine one of the world’s largest gold producers.  There are 1,845 stars in the Under the Stars astronomy gallery.

Make your child’s next birthday educational with a party at The Discovery. Each birthday party includes an impressive list of standard features. Members and nonmembers, please call 775-398-5905 for special prices.