About
Discovery Center Museum STEM Programs include hands-on activities such as the Giant Soft Bricks Playland, where children can build, climb, and imagine with large soft bricks. Seasonal and special events include Winter Wonderland during holiday break, Countdown to Fun with five confetti ball drops for the new year, and Galaxy Adventure! featuring photo opportunities with characters from a galaxy-themed setting. The programs take place within a museum that features more than 300 interactive STEM exhibits, including areas focused on electricity, the human body, space exploration, simple machines, agriculture, and color and light.
• Schedule: Museum open Tuesday–Sunday with daytime hours; Makerspace and outdoor Rock River Discovery Park available on select days and seasons during museum hours
• Price: $12.00 per person; free for members and children age one and younger.
Discovery Center Museum STEM Programs operate within a hands-on children’s science museum that was founded in 1981 by the Rockford Area Arts Council and the Junior League of Rockford, and it became a non-profit in 1984. The museum moved to its permanent home in the Riverfront Museum Park in 1991 and expanded in 2010, after which it has welcomed nearly 200,000 visitors annually. The museum’s mission is to inspire all children to dream, explore, and create without limits, and it offers traveling exhibits, special events, and year-round programs. The museum has received recognition at local, state, and national levels for its innovative approach to family learning.
The leadership team includes Executive Director Lana Paris and directors overseeing facilities and operations, advancement, engagement, education, and exhibits, along with managers and coordinators for operations, engagement, education and special projects, outreach, marketing and digital media, and museum experience fabrication. The organization is supported by a Board of Directors that includes officers such as a president, past president, first vice president, treasurer, and secretary, along with additional board members.
Last updated February 5, 2026.
• Schedule: Museum open Tuesday–Sunday with daytime hours; Makerspace and outdoor Rock River Discovery Park available on select days and seasons during museum hours
• Price: $12.00 per person; free for members and children age one and younger.
Discovery Center Museum STEM Programs operate within a hands-on children’s science museum that was founded in 1981 by the Rockford Area Arts Council and the Junior League of Rockford, and it became a non-profit in 1984. The museum moved to its permanent home in the Riverfront Museum Park in 1991 and expanded in 2010, after which it has welcomed nearly 200,000 visitors annually. The museum’s mission is to inspire all children to dream, explore, and create without limits, and it offers traveling exhibits, special events, and year-round programs. The museum has received recognition at local, state, and national levels for its innovative approach to family learning.
The leadership team includes Executive Director Lana Paris and directors overseeing facilities and operations, advancement, engagement, education, and exhibits, along with managers and coordinators for operations, engagement, education and special projects, outreach, marketing and digital media, and museum experience fabrication. The organization is supported by a Board of Directors that includes officers such as a president, past president, first vice president, treasurer, and secretary, along with additional board members.
Last updated February 5, 2026.
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