The Discovery Center, Fresno

This Sat: Get an up-close look at large construction vehicles: a dump truck, a backhoe, an excavator, a cement mixer & more! Learn about hydraulics, air compressors, & simple machines like levers & pulleys. Kids can grab the wheel, or create their own take home projects while they explore how machines work, through pla...y & activities. There will also be yummy food & fun music ("Crazy Craig", former Radio Disney DJ!)Read More

What's the most effective way for your kids to learn about science? There's something missing from all those overhead lessons and textbooks that would really make those science concepts stick. It's hands-on learning of course! Visit us every weekend for Saturday Science, where your kids will have such a good time, they... won't know they're learning! This September, it's all about homemade, hands-on experiments.

This Saturday, we'll try out several different science experiments to make loud, but safe, explosions that your children won't want to miss! They'll even get to set off their own mini rockets with a science experiment in a film canister!Read More

Boy Scouts Give the Discovery Center’s Beloved Gemini II Space Capsule a Facelift

A dedicated troop of local boy scouts has been spending their weekends volunteering at the Discovery Center, a hands-on children’s science and nature museum, to make some necessary improvements to an exhibit featuring a real Gemini II spac...e capsule.

The Discovery Center has been a part of Fresno since it opened in 1956, and it is their mission to connect children and their families with the natural world, science, and history. The Gemini II Space Capsule is an integral part of that mission. The space capsule was used by NASA for training and promotional purposes, and was donated to the Discovery Center as a permanent exhibit in 1992.

The Gemini II Space Capsule is not a “view but don’t touch” exhibit; children can enter the capsule, sit in the cabin chairs, flip the toggles and switches that were refurbished earlier this year, and let their imagination go wild. It is also an important part of many of the Discovery Center’s programs, including space camp, a solar system class, and for use with the Discovery Center’s Starlab portable planetarium.

Over 20 years of weather and constant use of the capsule has left it in need of repair. Funding for the refurbishment project was provided by a grant from SC Johnson. A volunteer from the Hiller Space Museum in San Carlos, CA, as well as the boy scouts, have been spending their time to see the project through to completion.

The Boy Scout troop that has been volunteering at the Discovery Center is Troop 257, chartered by the Clovis Elks Lodge #2599. The troop has completed several Eagle Scout projects at the park over the last three years, including refinishing a giant sequoia stump exhibit, cleaning out Walden Pond, building a habitat for their resident California desert tortoises, and building, refinishing, and/or painting the Discovery Center’s outdoor and indoor classrooms.

“Most Eagle projects average two to three Saturdays, although depending on the complexity of the project, can be longer. We have spent two days on the capsule so far, and should take two more days to complete it to everyone's satisfaction,” said Mike Vink, father of Danny Vink, the scout working on the space capsule. Scoutmaster Arnold Napoles, Kevin and Kyle Niederfrank, Daniel Fishback, Connor Matteson, and most of the boys in the scout troop have also been helping Danny and his father with the project.

The hard-working troop will be at the Discovery Center to continue their project this Saturday, September 19th, starting at 8 am.

The Discovery Center is a nonprofit children’s science museum located near the airport at Winery and McKinley. It is open to the public Monday-Friday from 9am to 5pm and on Saturdays from 10am to 4pm. Admission is free though donations are appreciated. Weekly events include a toddler class on Mondays from 1pm to 2pm and Wednesdays from 10am to 11am, as well as Saturday Science classes from 12pm to 3pm where kids and their families can enjoy doing their own science and craft projects. The Discovery Center offers a variety of classes to schools throughout the Central Valley, including planetarium shows. The 6-acre park is also a popular spot for birthday parties and several annual events, including Move It! Dig It! Do It: The Science of Machines, which is coming to the Discovery Center on October 24, 2009.

Contact:
Janet Berry, TDC Executive Director
jberry@thediscoverycenter.net
1937 N. Winery Ave.,
Fresno, CA 93703
Ph: (559) 251-5533
www.thediscoverycenter.netRead More

"Magnets" --Learn about magnets, from the biggest magnet in the world on down! We'll make our own compasses out of magnets and see if they work, too!

What's the most effective way for your kids to learn about science? There's something missing from all those overhead lessons and textbooks that would really make those s...cience concepts stick. It's hands-on learning of course! Visit us every weekend for Saturday Science, where your kids will have such a good time, they won't know they're learning! This September, it's all about homemade, hands-on experiments. Classes are free with donation and start at 12 p.m., 1 p.m., and 2 p.m. Read More

Do you want get your toddlers ready for Kindergarten? Get them the headstart they need at Nature Kids classes at The Discovery Center! This month is all about learning the five senses. Your little ones will learn to recognize their senses, as they discover how different animals use them to survive in nature.

Today's Cla...ss: "Hearing"
We'll explore our sense of hearing and how our sense compares to the hearing in animals. We'll learn about different types of ears and how they work, then make some fun musical instruments!

Nature Kids toddler classes are from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. every Wednesday this month at The Discovery Center. Bring your 3 to 5-year olds for this special promotion: Your first Nature Kids class free, then just $20 for the whole month!Read More

Are your curious kids fascinated by ocean life? Do they enjoy visiting the aquarium? We've got the perfect place for them to play, explore, and learn all about marine life!

THIS WEEK: Come to this class to get an overview of the many different types of fish that live in the ocean. We'll learn about how some fish can liv...e deep in the ocean, how fish can live in salt water, bony fish vs. fish made of cartilage, and more!

Saturday Science classes start at 12pm, 1pm, and 2pm.Read More