Top 3 Reasons to Visit Discovery Park of America

All American Park

Last week, my family and I were blessed to travel for an overnight trip to Discovery Park of America. We had a great time and I am excited to share with you about all we did there. In fact, I want to share with you the top 3 reasons that you should visit Discovery Park of America…

First of all, I just want to note...there is just sooo much to do there! It really is like visiting 2-3 different places in one. We had 2-day passes and I am so glad we did! You can upgrade to 2-day passes for a discount off the normal rate and I would definitely recommend doing that. It was nice to be able to leisure work through all the different areas and exhibits.

1. The Entire Park is Very Visitor-Friendly

I loved visiting here! The staff that we interacted with was very friendly, welcoming, accommodating, knowledgeable, and basically just a pleasure to be around and talk to. While the park experience is mostly self-guided, there are staff members spread throughout to assist guests with their exploration.

There were benches placed all over the park–inside and out. I was very impressed by the number of benches and chairs! Inside and out, they were everywhere. Every few feet there were benches and chairs. I love that they thought of this–perfect for elderly, pregnant women, small children, or anyone else who tires easily.

There were easily accessible emergency phones throughout the grounds outside. I really appreciated that they thought of this!

Throughout the grounds outside, there were signs “Please feel free to walk on the grass.” Just small touches like this made us feel like welcomed guests at the park. In addition to that, while some exhibits and areas were necessarily protected, there were many fun things that kiddos were allowed and encouraged to touch and try out.

There is a cafe on the grounds (however, the park is only about 5 minutes from the small town of Union City, TN. so it is very feasible to go into town for lunch, which is what we did one day). Furthermore, there are several snack stations available as well. And, throughout the outside portion of the park, there are a few air-conditioned buildings for those who may be overly sensitive to heat or weather.

2. Lots of Great Stuff for Kiddos

There are lots of hands-on, educational activities for children. They can learn about water while playing with one of the fun water exhibits–yes, they might get a little wet.

Inside, there are also several play areas. One has Keva Planks (which we love!), and our boys spent a while playing with those at the end of the second day when we’d seen everything and had some time to leisurely make our way around to some favorite things

There is a very large (and fast!) slide–down a man’s leg, which was very fun for my boys. They could climb out into the ball on the statue and look around.

Discovery Park of America

Throughout the museum area, there were many things they could touch and see, like the electricity and power station, many vehicles they could climb in and try out in the military/war section, and more.

Outside, there were even more fun hands-on things–a train station and engine they could sit in, desks at the one-room schoolhouse, lots of bells they could ring with pull strings, etc.

And much more! I could never list every single thing in one post, but there is much, much more!

3. Fun for Mom and Dad

Unlike many child-friendly activities, this one is also great for adults!

I love learning about the pioneers, so I loved the settlement, with lots of great information, buildings, etc. from the mid-1800′s.

Discovery Park Settlement

Also, in the museum, in the midst of all the fun, kid-friendly stuff, there is also a lot of fun, adult-friendly stuff. There is a section for automobile history, military/war history, Native American history, and much more. There are historical facts and artifacts scattered throughout the park to keep adults engaged and learning, as well as the kiddos.

It really is a perfect combination for the whole family.

Our family truly enjoyed this park, and tomorrow I’ll be sharing more about our visit specifically, with a lot more photos and details about the specific exhibits available.

Bonus: Lodging

Union City is a small town. And there isn’t any information that I could find on the site about lodging, so you’ll be on your own to figure that out. We stayed at Hospitality House, which is just about 5 minutes away from Discovery Park. They have a website with basic info, that does not support online reservations, but you can call for reservations 24 hours a day, 1-877-281-3456.

The staff there was very friendly and helpful as well! They also provide an afternoon snack for guests from 4-8 pm, they have things like boxed raisins, cookies, and popcorn in the hotel lobby. In the morning, enjoy a deluxe continental breakfast with DIY Belgian Waffles, several cereal options, bananas, instant oatmeal, biscuits, gravy, sausage, toast and bagels, and a variety of muffins and pastries.

Continue reading here: Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling on a Budget

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