Awesome STEAM learning museum for toddlers, children, and adults alike! Make sure to visit the outdoor play center to play on the magnificent wooden play ground, rock digging construction site, sand pit, water tables, nature exploration and more! Inside make magic bubbles and be engulfed inside one at the bubble making station. Build with Legos, Lincoln Logs, and more. Learn about simple machines, pulleys, levers, and more. Climb the spiral stairs (or crawl through the mouse holes for kids to get to the second floor, but dont worry, there is an elevator too). Upstairs, check out the tot exploration play space (play grocery, water works, doctor, indoor nature jungle gym, play house and more)! An art space, farm, and outer space too and learn about so much more! Highly recommend the museum!!

My boys love this place! Great place to learn and play!! Always adding in new additions is awesome and keeps the visits fresh! The Covid Circumstances kinda messes up a bit of the fun but not to much. The staff seem to be keeping the place clean and sanitary.

Such a very fun time! It is rated as one of the top 10 children’s museums in the country and it is obvious why. The staff is friendly and there are so many things to do! Tons of hands on activities for kids of every single age including young toddlers. There is a nursing room for moms, indoor and outdoor activities, two floors, and an amazing staircase that kids climb up through holes. It’s $8 per person which is very reasonable. You could easily spend 5 hours here.

Great kids museum for kids 8 and under! All exhibits are hands on which makes it much more exciting for kids! Wonderful large outdoor play area! Bring a lunch! UPDATE: I have added the fifth star for receiving a warm response to my review from the Discovery Center Museum. Thank you for taking the time out to reply and of course well be back!

Love the discovery center. My grandchildren never tire of going there. A ton of hands on learning experiences.

Great kids museum. Tons of activities for all ages of kids focusing on STEM. We have 2 & 5 year old boys. Both loved it and wanted to come back and stay longer. We will be returning. Staff friendly and helpful. Always picking up after kids come through. Clean and lots of space. Was an old Sears store renovated in 1987. Great use of space!

My family has a great time here, every time! Today we bought the affordable family pass for the year, and it will let us into a number of museums in Chicago as well. This place is clean and well lit, and we will be back soon!

Very cool place and the kids had a ton of fun! I had a ton of fun if were being honest too!

This is an amazing museum for children teens and adults. I will certainly be coming back in the future. This is a great way to spend a day at the indoor attractions or the outdoor equipment. I highly suggest this museum for locals or for those who are just passing by.

We will most certainly be coming back! Second time weve taken our kids here, both experiences have been wonderful. Helpful staff, well thought out, affordable for what could be an all day excursion (pending the patience of your little ones!) We love this place, we tell everyone that hasnt been they need to check it out. We want to go when the weather is warmer so we can enjoy the outdoor playground. Such a great spot for a family outing!

This is a real treasure in Rockford, IL. Although its a wonderful place for children, adults can have a blast, too. Kids love playing in the supermarket, complete with carts, baskets, produce, canned goods, bakery, dairy, flower wall, and check-outs. Or, visit the hospital (complete with babys nursery), the water room, the space section, the camping section, the house, the infant play space, or the farm area (including attention farm equipment). There are also many fun and interesting stand-alone scientific discoveries for kids and adults to make. Go outdoors to an awesome playground, including accessibility for wheelchairs and strollers. Easy on-site free parking makes the trip that much easier. Well worth the visit!

The expansion looks great alot of it brings me back to my childhood.

Such a huge place! Lots and tons of stuff to do, see, enjoy. The staff is attentive and polite. Its clean and well maintained. I cant wait to use the out door play area!!! Totally worth a membership!!!

My daughter had a lot of fun. The toddler section is great and they did a great job handling the covid situation we are in. Felt safe.

Great place for kids to learn, explore, and burn off some energy in a constructive manner.

First went to the Museum in 2016 and were blown away by the activities. We made a special trip in 2018 because we had had so much fun and virtually nothing had changed. The place seemed like it had fallen into disrepair and little care had been taken to maintain the quality. Its fine if you live close and they take museum reciprocity (up to 4 passes) but we wont go back.

One of the best kids museums weve been to and weve been to a ton. Great for wide span on ages and so much to do. Outdoor at is huge when the weather allows, but the inside is spectacular. Always changing.

We actually went there for a baby shower. You can rent rooms for parties. This was a surprise to me as when I received the invitation I was confused why someone would have a baby shower at a museum but it was a very pleasant experience. It was reasonably priced and the children werent bored. They had plenty of room for food and decorating. Overall it was a great time!!

This place is amazing for kids of all ages. Educational, fun and exciting!

Back in 2017 I used to volunteer here yeah I miss 2017 volunteering at the Discovery Center that year mind-blowing because they used to have the pinball machine I know they still have it that museum is my childhood

My kid loves this place, always clean, not too crowded and exhibit are always fresh and new. We also love the outdoor park with the large sand box and construction rock pit and dump trucks and water table. A must see.

This is the ultimate hands on museum. We were here for three hours, but our school age kids would have been happy to stay for much longer. Our only disappointment was that the science park was closed due to weather conditions (cold and drizzly), but our kids would have been happy to go play in it anyway. I wish they would allow people to go out at their own risk. The staff was friendly and even took our coats for us.

Nice interactive place for children.

This childrens museum has exhibits of all kinds. Yesterday we spent our time outside finding the secret garden and learning how sound travels. Everything is interactive! Kids of all ages will be able to enjoy different parts of the exhibits! On Mondays there is a craft time called Messy Mondays that were enjoyable. Be sure to check out Bug Invasion on the second floor and see how many levels you can reach.

We stopped in with our almost five year old daughter and spent nearly 5 hours inside! It was raining so we werent able to play on the outdoor structure but we had more than enough to keep us busy inside. The staff was always around picking up and available to answer questions. They have a vending machine area for snacks which was nice since she wanted to spend so much time there. Well definitely be back next time were in the area!

Fantastic interactive learning/experiential destination for youth.

Fabulous childrens museum with tons of hands-on fun!!

Great interactive childrens museum covering many areas of nature and hard science. Exciting hands on exploratory activities that explain science to children 5-14. The outdoor playground is fun and can provide a good two hours of entertainment to a group of children. Many activities are scheduled and overnights with special activities and experiments are available to youth organizations like cub scouts. A real great place to spend half a day. They have numerous educational nooks filled with relevant science books. Ive never been able to get the kids to sit still long enough but it seems well worth the effort.

I love taking my kids to this place every time Im in town. Every time we go there is always something new, which is so much fun and the kids enjoy it too because its not the same thing every single time but some of my favorites are always still there. I love that some things just never change. I remember this place from MY childhood and I especially love that I can share it with my kids. My husband and I have a ton of fun ourselves while were here too lol

Very nice kids museum. Lots of stuff to do and keep them entertained for several hours. Well maintained and membership also includes free admission to many other museums.

A great treasure of this town! So much to do, great activities and events. Priced so that everyone is able to enjoy!

Took the grand kids, they had a blast!

Great place for kids! We had fun as parents too. There are always cool events and different exhibits. Highly recommend!

This is a perfect rest stop between Madison and Chicago. Both kids (3 & 7) loved it, with more than enough to fill two hours just inside. Great balance of learning, discovery, and free play.

Such a great place to spend a day. There were ALOT of field trips this day, nut staff is always very attentive of things. Amazing fun!

Kids loved this place!

My 2-year old loved the museum and I have to agree. There was so much to see and do. Its definitely one well be taking them back to! One of the best childrens museums Ive ever been to.

My almost three year old loves this place. So much to do! Been coming here on the regular for over a year and the year membership has been totally worth it. Lots of things for your little one to get their hands on and figure out and learn by doing, association, and just learning stuff by accident.Great way to get young little minds going.

This is a wonderful childrens museum! We spent two hours here and my son could have stayed longer, he was having such a great time.

The Rockford childrens discovery museum is so much better than the Madison WI one. Everything we thought it would be and more! The hands on fun and the amount of fun learning and activities are awesome! From science to farming and so much in between its a great place for kids and adults. Well definitely make the trip here regularly

Perfect size for a day visit. Theres always something going on, be sure to check out the website for any special exhibits. I grew up in this museum and still look forward to talking my kids.

What a great place. Brought the 2 year old and he had so much fun. Not only is it fun it is educational. 2 adults and the kid we paid $27. Not only is there indoor activities theres a huge wooden activity area outside with tables and benches to look at the river view. Bring your lunch and enjoy it outside or inside. What a fun time.

Let me just say this from the bottom of my heart I miss this place when I was a little kid I had good memories when they had a Thomas and friends wooden table I think there was an eyeball pinball machine I hope its still there they have some great things are there but its sad that theyre closed but this will always be my favorite place as a little kid oh yeah did I mention I used to volunteer here back in 2017 every morning my septran bus wood take me to Discovery Center Museum cuz I used to go to Guilford High School oh my God that was the best high school of all I miss it there PS this was the best place of all

Discovery town was great for our 2yr old he loved making pizza and bringing it to us. Was very fun for him lots to do for all ages

Lots of activities and learning to be had here. The assortment of stuff to see a do should make just about any kid happy. And the outdoor play is beautiful.

Ive always been a fan of Hands On Learning. When I was a child I loved going to the Discovery Center whether its with school, friends, or family. Now my daughter runs around with the same curiosity I do.

My 3 and 9 years old both REALLY enjoyed it here. I was stunned at how large it is and how much of it is interactive for the kids. We really had a great time!

My three year old loves this place. We went for a fourth of July event and had a good time. The area outside is really pretty as its right on the river. Good parking. Reasonable price.

Very fun place to take young children! Plenty of things for the kids to play with and nice outdoor playground.

Love it, my kids had tons of fun. Very kind and helpfull staff.

So many thongs for little ones to do, an easy 4 hour or more excursion. Bring your snacks!

A must visit place for the kids. There are lot of exhibits, workshops, crafts and experiments to have fun along with learning.

My kids (girls age 6 and 2 years old) LOVED it! They had so much fun! We stayed there for 4 hours. My kids didnt want to leave! We visited the museum 3 days ago and my 2 year old cant stop talking about how much fun she had and askes daily if we can go back. All of the interactive displays/activities are awesome for young kids. We all had such a good time that I plan on purchasing an annual family pass soon. I plan on packing a lunch the next time we go and taking advantage of the lunch room. Parking is free and the restrooms were nice and clean!

My son loves going here, his favorite thing is the outside area. A great place to let him run around and burn up all that energy!!

Great place have fun with your kids....To many parents sitting paying attention to there phones though....sad

So much to do, so little time! This is a very fun place to take your children. Adults can learn, play, and have fun as well. Easy to get to, easy to navigate, free parking, low cost entrance fee, outdoor playground is cool. Kids liked the water play and play doctor/baby hospital areas the most, but there is so much more to this place. Went mid-July and it wasnt packed, kids got to play with everything with little to no waiting. Very enjoyable. Definitely recommend. Returned after going on a field trip with eldest child.

My kids love this place. I have a family membership which is well worth the price. Its great for the kids to be able to play and explore, and I even participate in some of the activities with them.

This is such an amazing place to take my young daughter!!!!

Took my Girl Scout troop for an overnight. We had an amazing time. Awesome place, Outstanding staff, great time!

Very good place to take kids for full day of fun. Lot of things to do indoors and decent sand play area outside.

Great way to spend an afternoon with the kids. So many interactive exhibits. Cant wait till the next rotating exhibit comes in!

This is the best place in town for parents to take young kids under 10 years old. Fun for adults too especially during late night events when beverages are being served.

I think this place is just amazing. We went for the Thomas exhibit. My son just loved it. After that it was space day so there were activities set up all over for kids to participate in. It looks like special events are quite common. Plenty of things to keep you busy and learning for hours and hours. I think I had just as much fun as my son!!!!

This is a very well run fun family activity place for children to play and learn

At almost 30 years old, this museum is great for all ages and continues to have great events and times for kids.

This place is amazing! Our oldest is 2 and she was endlessly entertained - we couldnt even get to everything before she got tired. You could spend a whole day just on the playground outside! There are plenty of activities and they range all ages. Admission is so affordable too. We dont have a membership but it would be well worth the cost considering how great the museum is.

Its a really good place considering that its in Rockford. I came in from out of town and Ive been to better places but the price matches what it offers so I felt like it was worth it. Spend a few hours in or outside with the kids, its even worth a trip from out of town if youre looking for something different and its not too far from Chicago suburbs.

2 levels, 20-30 activities per level. Only a few out of order. More interactive than more formal museums, still some learning.

We probably go at least once a month. My kids love this place, it is well taken care of and always has new this for the kids to experience. Plus with a membership you have access to other cool museums around the country.

Great place for all ages. Between the classes, the items for birth thru 99 and the family friendly atmosphere, we keep coming back. Only sad part is that it costs us $27 for one visit (3 people). I wish they had a family rate.

This is a very educated place to take your kids a lot of good education there not only the kids but very interesting to me

Kids love this place and it has a lot of educational activities for them to do.

Always fun to be here! Very friendly staff and fun activities. Thank you! ¡Gracias!

Great place for kids and adults. Hands on learning that feels like playing

Awesome toddler area on second floor.

The lady at the front was excellent. The exhibit was a little sparse but enjoyable and it was great to learn about the abstract art community around the 1960’s

Love it here, just fantastic!

Great way to spend the day with active little ones. Great hands on activities, well staffed and fun!

So much fun for the kids AND parents! Always a great time!

Always a good time for our 20 month old son and us! This time was their Star Wars day, so we got to meet a lot of Storm Troopers, Princess Leia, etc, in addition to checking out their Thomas exhibit.

O absolutely love the childrens discovery museum. My kids can interact with anything in the building. There are usually roaming employees keeping everything clean.

Very fun place to take the kids a lot of activities and games for them to learn about science

We love taking the kids. They have a great time. But while we were there I felt it was unsafe due tot he construction outside there was tools laying around and there was at least a school there on a trip. I didnt see one staff member outside watching either. We all know half the parents dont watch their kids.

Fun place, 4 & 5 year boys loved it. Better then Kohl or Navy pier museum, not as crowded. Only 1 hour 10 mi ride from northwest suburbs, straight out 90. Just remember to pack your own lunch.

I went as staff for a child care visit and I loved this place. They have knowledgeable, helpful staff, and a lunch room that can be rented out for large groups. On the outdoor playground there was a Science Guy with games and experiments for the kids. Amazing facility.

Amazing place!! Could have stayed for the whole day...the kids had a blast and so did we!

Truly love this place. A really positive location filled with learning and fun. Literally my only complaint is the lunchroom. Tables were dirty, highchairs very sticky, and nothing to clean them off with. There was an empty container of Clorox wipes and an empty bottle of hand sanitizer. While I realize it was a busy time having been a Saturday, I do think that someone could occasionally check on that room. Staff does a great job of maintaining everything else even after hundreds of toddlers parade

Great place! Took grandkids here to burn off some energy. They had so much fun trying new things and learning as they did.

Lots of fun n stuff for kids to do, including virtual video games, speed gun, and man made tornados!

Great New Years Eve program where they celebrate the new year every hour with cheers and confetti.

Awesome science fun with star wars. The show was the best.

A fantastic addition to the city of Rockford, one of greatest treasures we can share with our children.For the size of our city, I cant ask for a more thoroughly well put together childrens museum where they can learn about science in a hands on approach.

This Museum was fantastic for the children they loved every minute of being there and Im sure learned a few things.

We had lots of fun and paying and extra dollar for the town was worth it

Nice childrens museum to visit! Ample parking. Lots of play areas for children.Explore our more than 300 hands-on exhibtis. Check out their website and schedule of special events and temporary exhibits.Staff needs to be a tad bit more attentive, they was no interaction between visitors and employees, they did a lot a walking around. Bathrooms are small.

Awesome place for kids all ages!

I love taking our son to the Discovery Center Museum. The staff are friendly, knowledgeable...and the exhibits kept-up. The outdoor park areas has improved significantly with herb garden and patio seating.

This is a great place to bring the kids. The view from the outdoor adventure area is lovely.

We are yearly members and will renew next year.. my kids and I love this place.. they are constantly adding new exhibits and staff is friendly and very kid oriented..

Pretty cool place. Could use like a little cafe or something