The Discovery Center

The kids and I went here last weekend and we all enjoyed the experience. The staff are friendly and very helpful. The highlight of our visit was watching a snake catch a live rat and swallowing it. We were glued to the snake tanks. Mostly everything there you can touch and the kids loved it. I’d recommend parents taking their children.

I haven’t been to the Discovery Center since I was a kid, but they’ve redone it. This is a great place for elementary-​age children to learn and interact with science and history.
This is a cross between the kids’ science area at the old Fresno Met and the Learning Center at the zoo. The front area is interactive games and experiments on topics such as lightning, anatomy and nutrition, the forming of the San Joaquin Valley, local Native American artifacts and culture, rocks and geodes, energy and acceleration, and brain teasers. I’d say the reading levels on the posters are mostly geared towards the intermediate (4 – 6) grades, and maybe third; read the info to the younger ones. They also have dinosaur and space areas as you head through the hallway to the back. There you find many aquariums and posters on features of fish, then go into a back room with plants and animals. Kids learn about plant parts, how they grow, how many babies different animals have, predators and prey, and can see the heads and hides of many game animals to learn about their diets and behavior. This is a more primary-​age (K-​3) friendly area. Tucked away around the corner, usually empty because it is hidden, is the Reptile Room, with the cages at kid-​level.
Directly out back are the bathrooms. Though they are in the same building, I didn’t see an entrance from the inside. There is a little river relaxing area next to the restrooms, and directly out back they have a bunch of picnic tables, as well as some plastic and wooden playgrounds suited for ages 6 and under. This is a good area for classes to eat and powwow at on a field trip, or for families to take a break.
If you have time to wander out back, head right; their grounds are HUGE. The second green building is storage, so bypass it. Right next to the storage area, there are two cactus gardens with native species; they’re beautiful, but I must question the safety of giant cacti in a kid-​friendly area. For middle school and over I’d recommend it; the trails are wide and the plants are labeled. Another brown building has a second set of restrooms. Keep going to find a picnic area with a tunnel and two interactive games for little kids. Beyond that is a Native American village set up to walk through. There might be more beyond that, but my party didn’t want to venture further.
This is a hidden gem. Though you could easily pass by the two green buildings in a giant field on the side of the road, you’ll be pleasantly surprised if you drop by with your kids or class.

Bigger than I expected. Fun for the kids. Not quite how I remember it from a kid. Great military discounts. Worth checking out at least once.

Kind of expensive for what you get. A lot of things look out of date or worn out.
There are reptiles and other animals in the back but not a wide variety and they look sad.

Came by here for the Dragonfly Festival and had tons of fun with the kids. There were plenty of crafts and activities and learning opportunities. The staff is super informative and friendly. I highly recommend everyone check out this cool spot!

This place is a joke and absolute drop off. Everything is dead and there is really nothing to do inside it is maybe 1500 square feet… If their prices were about half of what they are then it might be worth it… Key word is might

This place was great! Took my almost 2 year old nephew and he loved it! We’ll be purchasing a membership. The park is free, and the museum is $ 8 for adults, and I think $ 6 for kids, but under 3 are free. The museum has lots of things to touch and play with (we as adults had fun too!). There are also a lot of animals to look at, feed and even touch, although my nephew did not want to touch ANY of them (scared). Then the park is great too! It’s huge and beautiful! There’s a pond to catch little fish and crawdads in, and lots of turtles… A lot of paths to walk around, gardens, a little Indian village set up, a sand area. It was just a lot of fun! I don’t know why we’ve never gone here before!

For a family of 4, we payed $ 22 for all of us to get in. 3 and under are free. Considering the cleanliness and Attractions, I’m going to say we over payed. It’s kind of lame how parents have to pay to get in. I’m not going here for myself, it’s for my kiddos.
Take note, when you walk in what you see is pretty much what you get. There are some reptiles, rabbits, chinchillas, hamsters, and ducks in the back tho.
My kids really enjoyed playing with all the exhibits in the first room. The «music» stuff didn’t really make music tho.
The outside area is eh. It’s like putting a dirty playground in a dessert. Oh, and they have a cactus trail. Not fun with kiddos!

We participated in a class this morning and played in the museum afterwards. The kids has a lot of fun shooting off their «rockets», buy the class would have run much smoother if they had had two people running it. The parents ended up needing to help the class facilitator so the kids weren’t standing around waiting, which they still had to do. They needed another helper.
The cactus garden looks really amazing, but I wasn’t able to go in it besides had little ones that aren’t old enough to know not to touch. I really wish they had a fence around both cactus gardens. The other outside «park» areas were really fun for the kids. They just loved the pond, the outdoor toys, spaceship to play in, etc.
The museum was a blast! Pictures don’t do it justice. So many things to rich, pay with, experiment with, explore, etc. We purchased a family membership and will definitely be going back!

Love This Place But Recently They Let It Go It’s Completely Dried Out. Vines Dead like They Have Never Used Water or A Sprinkler. Until The Grass And Plants Are Healthy Again I Don’t Think I’ll Visit. Definitely After Rainy Season. So I will Wait .The Discovery Center Will Be A Sight For Sore Eyes

Randomly stopped by while driving around. The gf and i had a blast while walking around the garden and random exhibits. Definitely reminds me of my childhood!

This place is so cool. My 3 year old, wife and I loved it.
I can’t wait to go back.

If you haven’t been lately, it’s time to rediscover The Discovery Center! Saturday Science, and special events makes the Discovery Center a great place for learning, and the spacious grounds, pond, and displays makes it a great place for families to visit!

Like Christine said, this place is a true hidden gem in Fresno. There are several beautiful gardens for kids to explore, and a family could easily spend a morning or afternoon here.
They also have Saturday afternoon programs for kids ages 6 – 12. This month the programs focus on animals. One Saturday it was all about mammals, and my kids are really excited that they’re going to be studying invertebrates.
Good stuff.

A true hidden treasure in Fresno!
We went here on a weekday and practically had the place to ourselves. A great spot to pack a lunch and spend a few hours with the kids. I could have spent hours in the garden if my kids would have sat still long enough. Lots of shade and benches to relax while your kids explore. One of the caretakers gave us some zuchinni and we were able to feed the tortoises, that was so much fun… once we found them!
Maze, cactus garden, children’s garden, sequia exhibit, koi pond, space capsule… some very random things that some how all work well together.