Science and Space Gallery

Guests who visit the space and science-related gallery weave their way through the universe, starting on planet earth and then venturing through the solar system, the galaxy and then beyond. Data and imagery presented in these exhibits are taken almost exclusively from NASA sources.

While an asteroid that enters the Earth’s atmosphere is often called a “shooting star,” it’s actually a meteor.  The pieces that do not burn up but hit the ground intact are called meteorites. The iron-nickel meteorite on display at Discovery Park fell to earth in Nantan County, Guangxi, China in 1516 and weighs 661 lbs. This specimen was discovered along with others in 1958 when a field strewn with “iron rocks” was discovered by farmers looking for iron ore to make steel. When these heavy, iron-rich rocks wouldn’t melt, further investigation showed them to be iron meteorites.

Regional History Gallery

Discovery Park celebrates the unique cultural heritage and natural history of Northwest Tennessee and Reelfoot Lake, the only large natural lake in Tennessee, is a significant part of that story. Designated by the U.S. Department of Interior as a National Natural Landmark, this beautiful scenic lake covers 25,000 acres of water and wetland where a huge variety of plants and animals make a unique ecosystem unlike anything else in the world. It was formed during the earthquakes that occurred along the New Madrid Fault in the winter of 1811-1812. In the upheaval, land on the east side of the Mississippi River sank, creating a depression that river water rushed in to fill. The earthquake was said to have been felt as far away as New England where newspapers reported it made church bells ring, and there were confirmed reports of damage more than 225 miles away in St. Louis.

The fish you may see in the aquarium include largemouth bass, black crappie, bowfin, shortnose gar, longnose gar, smallmouth buffalo and blue and channel catfish. Housed in several smaller tanks in the gallery are a red-eared slider turtle, snapping turtle and eastern box turtle. There are also several snakes, including a speckled king snake, corn snake and pine snake.

As of November 2023, the Regional History Gallery now features the indoor portion of our new exhibit, “Duck, Duck, Goose: Waterfowl of the Mississippi Flyway.” The exhibit features interactive, scenic learning stations and shows the incredible work that local biologists, hunters, and conservationists are doing to protect waterfowl.

Natural History Gallery

The Natural History Gallery focuses largely on two scientific disciplines: geology, the study of the Earth, and paleontology, the study of prehistoric creatures.

The West Tennessee PBS Discovery Globe is four feet in diameter. Visitors can choose what aspect of the earth they would like to see via the touch screen display. Educators find it useful for providing a visual demonstration of concepts like plate tectonics.

Surrounding the West Tennessee PBS Discovery Globe are physical examples and graphic displays that tell the geologic story of the Earth. Much is told through the eyes of what is now the state of Tennessee, with specimens from across the state among those on display. Graphic panels discuss the planet’s formation and provide a cut-away view revealing the structure of the Earth.

Native American Gallery

The Native Americans Gallery takes guests from the ancient past, through European contact and up to today. There are more than 4,800 artifacts on display in the gallery, including 4,652 arrowheads and spear points mounted to the walls.

The Woolly Mammoth in Discovery Park’s collection is about 12,000 years old and was found in 2000 on the Istra riverbank in Russia and took three years to excavate. It was purchased by Robert Kirkland and presented as a loan to the Obion County Museum in 2007 where it was displayed until it was moved to its permanent home at Discovery Park.

Painted vessels like the ones in the Discovery Park collection began to appear during the Mississippian period and often feature decorations with cosmological or supernatural themes.

Military Gallery

The Military Gallery can be found on two levels of the museum. The lower level contains a collection of military vehicles and weapons, as well as displays about the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War and our current military conflicts.

The UH-34D Helicopter on display in the south atrium has been painted with the same markings as a particularly famous example of the aircraft—the helicopter that pulled astronaut Alan Shepherd, the first American in space, from the Atlantic Ocean after his historic flight.

Hanging from the ceiling, above the lower level of The Military Gallery, is a reproduction of the first craft to successfully perform a manned flight. Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft with the Wright Flyer on Dec. 17, 1903, four miles south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

Enlightenment Gallery

Considered Discovery Park’s “cabinet of curiosities,” this is a place where different artifacts can sit side-by-side with each telling its own unique story while working together to help guests create an experience unique to every individual. Guests often remark they find something new each time they visit this gallery.

The suit of armor is a reproduction of a style of Italian plate armor that was used in Europe during the mid-15th century.

One of the most unique items on display in The Enlightenment Gallery is a Vampire Killing Kit. The kit contains markings attributing it to Professor Ernst Blomberg and “the gun maker of Liege, Nicholas Plomduer.” It contains a pistol, silver bullets, powdered garlic, an ivory crucifix, a wooden stake, and “Professor Blomberg’s New Serum.”

Another unusual exhibit found in The Enlightenment Gallery is the Chamber. Throughout history, the treatment of those accused of crimes has varied greatly. This exhibit, will help shed light on a dark past by examining the reasoning behind such acts.

Energy Gallery

Interaction is the focus of this gallery, which contains a 20-foot model of a generator that converts energy into electricity. Activity stations surround the generator and allow visitors to use their own muscles to turn turbines, which illuminate the tower in bands of light. Solar, fuel, and heat exhibits highlight uses for these alternative energy sources.

Simmons Bank Children’s Exploration Gallery

A giant slide sculpted in the shape of a man makes a big impression on guests of every age at Discovery Park. Connecting both levels of the Simmons Bank Children’s Exploration Gallery, the “Giant Man Slide” would be 48 feet tall if he stood upright.

From the upper level, children—and adventurous adults—can climb into the globe in his lap to get a fantastic view of the dinosaurs in Dino Hall before experiencing the 32-foot slide running down his left leg to the entry level.

There are four main exhibit areas in the upper level next to the entrance to the slide: the “Build It” exhibit, the sense stations, the water tables and the perception wall.  On the entry level, at the bottom of the slide is the “Fantasy Forest Children’s Play Area.”