Our Mission

The primary purpose of Creative Discovery Museum is to be a hands-on children's museum that provides educational programs and exhibits in the arts and sciences. The mission of the Museum is to:

• Stimulate the creative spirit and natural curiosity of every child
• Create an excitement for learning through interactive exploration of the arts and sciences
• Foster innovation and excellence as an educational resource
• Support the cultural and economic vitality of the Chattanooga Region

Our Service

We're a popular place! Our staff welcomes approximately 260,000 guests every year. The Museum fulfills its mission through permanent and temporary exhibits and an extensive array of education programs. The audience for these exhibits and programs include children, families, parents, teachers, caregivers, schools and organizations that serve children. The Museum is recognized as a vital educational resource and collaborates with over 40 different community partners providing a variety of educational programs.

The General Admission visitor to the Museum is offered a variety of programs including art lessons, science demonstrations, story times, as well as "spur of the moment" activities. The art lessons change monthly and offer parents and children the opportunity to engage in a fun educational lesson offered by trained instructors. The science demonstration changes two or three times per year and feature subjects such as liquid nitrogen, light, bugs, and health. The "spur of the moment" activities might include bringing a snake into the atrium of the Museum for children to touch or inviting children to "get their heart rates up" in an activity called Just Move.

We strive to be as accessible as possible to families throughout the greater Chattanooga area. Over 30,000 children and families take advantage of free admission programs each year. The Museum provides free admission to the community for two days during the week before Christmas. We also distribute free tickets to various social service agencies that serve clients that otherwise could not afford to come to the Museum. We also provide free admission to the families of children who attend the Museum Magnet elementary and middle schools. In addition to the free admission program, the Museum offers discounted admissions to school groups with students who participate in free or reduced school lunch programs.

Creative Discovery Museum also owns the Science Theatre at Northgate Mall. Approximately 50,000 students are served at this location with science demonstrations featuring large scale equipment and laser shows. The content of the shows relates to the physical sciences. Additionally, this site offers camps, home school programs, birthday parties, and the popular 4th Friday Family Fun Nights!

Schools are served by the Museum in a variety of ways including school tours and school outreach. School tours include the highlights tour and the themed tour offering a more in-depth classroom curriculum connected experience within the Museum setting. Each year about 25,000 students are served through one of these tour formats.

In addition to opening our doors for guests to come to the Museum, we have Museum instructors who bring the Museum to you! Our instructors presented interactive science and art lessons to over 18,000 students as part of the school outreach program. This program was launched in 2004 with support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

As part of the Museum's mission, we want to not only meet but exceed the expectations of every child. Throughout the year, the Museum hosts several programs for children with disabilities, as well as, a fun, interactive exhibit emphasizing disability awareness that is educational for children and adults.

• Club Discovery — Weekly after school program for ages 8 to 12 (serving children with various disabilities and typically developing peers). This program was awarded the Association of Children's Museums Universal Design for Learning Award in 2006.
• Friends Discovery Camp — Offered in partnership with Siskin Children's Institute and UTC, this camp is designed to serve the needs of children with autism spectrum disorders.
• Kids Like You, Kids Like Me — Centered on an exhibit created in-house, this program's mission is to: Celebrate kids with disabilities through exploration and education of the similarities and differences of all people. This program is presented in partnership with Siskin Children's Institute. It includes school tours, teacher workshops and weekend events.