Information
Landmark: Children’s Discovery MuseumCity: Normal
Country: USA Illinois
Continent: North America
Children’s Discovery Museum, Normal, USA Illinois, North America
Overview
In Normal, Illinois, the Children’s Discovery Museum bursts with color and energy, inviting kids and families to touch, build, and explore everything from water tables to giant foam blocks.In the Bloomington-Normal area, it’s a top spot for families, with hands-on exhibits and programs that spark creativity, feed curiosity, and inspire discovery-like a corner where kids build towers from bright wooden blocks.Tucked into Uptown Normal, the museum sits at the heart of town, just a short walk from cafés and shops, so it’s easy for both visitors and locals to drop by.The building stretches across three lively floors, each filled with inviting spaces where children of every age can play, explore, and learn.Bright walls and warm light create a space that invites you in, sparking curiosity and hands-on learning.The museum’s packed with hands-on displays that mix learning and play-step into AgMazing and hear the hum of farm machinery spring to life.Home to the nation’s biggest children’s agricultural exhibit, this lively space lets kids dig into farming and food production with hands-on activities, like planting seeds in fresh soil.Kids can try steering a rumbling corn harvester, toss feed to bleating goats, wind their way through a grain maze, and more-each activity showing how food makes its trip from farm to table.Healthy Kids–Healthy Future invites families to dive into healthy living, with a Fresh Market where kids can touch crisp apples and bright carrots, a Healthy Pizza Café for hands-on food choices, and a Water Works station that makes hydration and the water cycle come alive."Way to Go" is a hands-on transportation exhibit where kids explore cars, bikes, and other ways to get around, picking up how movement works and what makes the mechanics tick.Go ahead-dig in!It’s an outdoor garden where kids can dig into the soil, touch bright green leaves, and watch little bugs scurry, giving them a hands-on bond with nature.Art Studio A is a lively spot where kids can splash paint on paper, sketch bold lines, or glue bits of fabric into colorful collages, sparking their imagination and encouraging them to express themselves.Fetch it!In Lab A, kids roll up their sleeves for daily experiments-mixing colors, testing ideas-and discover the basics of science through curiosity and play.The Luckey Climber is a two-story play structure that pushes kids to stretch, balance, and climb, all while turning exercise and motor skill practice into pure fun.In 2026, the museum will grow with “From the Farm to a Healthy Me,” a 5,800-square-foot exhibit made possible by a $1 million gift from the McLean County Farm Bureau, where visitors can step inside a barn and smell fresh hay.The new exhibit invites visitors to explore hands-on attractions-a buzzing Ag Lab, a mock grocery store, a colorful food truck, a winding grain maze, drone simulators, and a cozy toddler play zone-all designed to bring agriculture and healthy living to life.The museum offers a lively mix of programs-educational workshops, hands-on science experiments, colorful art classes, and special events-all designed for kids and families.PLAYLA’s an annual fundraiser packed with quirky fun-think silent discos, trike races, and hands-on science demos-all designed to pull the community in.You can book birthday parties or private group visits, complete with themed packages and custom experiences-think bright balloons and a playlist you choose yourself.Member families get special perks-like slipping in during quiet, members-only hours and enjoying tickets at a discount or even free.The museum’s open most Tuesday through Saturday, with hours that shift to fit school timetables and give families time to wander past the old brass clock.Tickets cost $10 for adults and kids, but little ones under 2 get in free-and so do museum members.Through the Museums for All initiative, veterans and families with EBT or WIC cards can get discounted admission, opening the museum’s doors to a broad community.The Children’s Discovery Museum is a cornerstone of Bloomington-Normal, offering a welcoming space where kids can learn, grow, and giggle over hands-on exhibits, while families strengthen their bonds and support early childhood development.It focuses on STEM education, promotes healthy living, and sparks environmental awareness by getting students hands-on-like testing water samples from the nearby creek.The museum blends play with learning, sparking a lifelong curiosity and love of discovery in its young visitors-like the moment a child’s eyes light up at a hands-on fossil exhibit.You can find us at 101 E Beaufort St, Normal, IL 61761, or call (309) 433-3444.The museum sits just steps from parking, cozy cafés, and other Uptown Normal spots, making it a great place for families to enjoy a lively, hands-on day together.The Children’s Discovery Museum stands at the heart of family learning and fun in Normal, Illinois, where kids can climb, build, and explore together.With hands-on exhibits to explore, lively community programs, and new expansions on the way, it’s a place that keeps growing-sparking curiosity and teaching kids in a warm, welcoming space where laughter echoes down the halls.
