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![]() ![]() The first thing to catch my eye is a meteorite that fell near the city of Nantan, China, in 1516. We board the escalator to the third floor, where we enter the Science, Space & Technology gallery. Clearly, I asked a question common among first-time visitors. “Start at the top and work your way down,” she advises with a knowing smile. “I’m already overwhelmed,” I admit to the lady at the ticket counter. There will be time to explore souvenirs later. I get our tickets as my husband coaxes the boys away from the adjacent gift shop, overflowing with toys, books, games and trinkets. ![]() As we enter the main building, we’re greeted by a fierce-looking grizzly bear. The multistory main building is surrounded by smaller structures, including an 1800s settlement of log cabins, a century-old church, gristmill, six full-size train cars, firehouse, barber shop, drugstore, gardens and an antique tractor mill, just to name a few. ![]() SEE MORE: Discovery Park of America video Literally built out of a cornfield, the extraordinary white structure reminds me of the unforgettable Field of Dreams quote: “If you build it, they will come.” That’s certainly true at the Discovery Park of America – the parking lot was filled with vehicles from all over Tennessee and beyond. We arrived at the Discovery Park at noon, and we were impressed by the building’s architecture before we even entered. My husband and I loaded up our boys – Bryce, 6, and Brett, 5 – and headed for Union City early on a Sunday morning. So I was thrilled when my editor assigned me a feature story focusing on the unusual attraction. I’m a writer from Nashville, and with two young boys of my own, I’d been looking for an excuse to make the three-hour drive to Union City to see the Discovery Park for myself after hearing friends rave about it. It’s a feast for the senses – a place where children and adults learn without even realizing they are being taught. The Kirklands hope the $100 million, 50-acre attraction will educate and entertain visitors of all ages, allowing them to see amazing things they might otherwise never get to see in a rural town. That’s pretty great for this little part of the world.”Ī gift to the community from Obion County residents Robert and Jenny Kirkland (who made their fortune with Kirkland’s home furnishing stores), the 100,000-square-foot museum has 10 different themed galleries, an earthquake simulator, interactive Starship Theater, a $2 million dinosaur bones display, a 48-foot human statue with a giant slide, and a 120-foot tower with two glass floor panels. Instead, we are on target to hit 300,000. “We hoped to have 150,000 visitors in our first year. It could have been placed in New York, Chicago, Atlanta or anywhere,” says Mary Nita Bondurant, marketing director at the Discovery Park of America. Time: Allow 6 hours minimum.“The Discovery Park of America is world class. The park often hosts educational traveling exhibits, as well. Special exhibits available for an extra fee include an earthquake simulator, a starship theater and a 120-foot viewing tower with a glass elevator and glass floor panels. Viewing the aquarium from inside a bubble and climbing into a Vietnam War-era helicopter in the Military Gallery are other family favorites. An outdoor playground, an indoor children's art gallery and a giant slide housed in a 60-foot-tall replica of a human body are kid-friendly favorites. Military enthusiasts will want to check out the collection of military vehicles-including a PT-17 Stearman bi-plane suspended from the ceiling-and climb into a Vietnam-War era helicopter. Ten learning galleries inside the Discovery Center feature everything from a working Gutenberg printing press and the Wright brothers' first airplane to a 22,000-gallon aquarium with sea life and a STEM Landing exhibit featuring a rocket engine and a Blue Angel airplane. Centered prominently outside is a 100-year-old church, discovered in middle Tennessee and purchased specifically for the park, as well as an 18th-century schoolhouse, a working gristmill, a rail depot with five full-size antique train cars, a replica 1700s public square and a frontier settlement with log cabins. is a 100,000-square-foot museum on a 50-acre heritage park. Discovery Park of America is at 830 Everett Blvd. ![]()
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