"The mission of The Discovery Center of the Southern Tier is to develop the intellectual, physical and emotional well-being of the children of the Southern Tier through participatory exhibits and programs.
These exhibits engage the senses, challenge the mind and offer a diverse framework for discovery in the arts,sciences and humanities."
ABOUT US
The Discovery Center is a hands-on interactive children’s museum serving the Southern Tier of New York and Northeastern Pennsylvania. This remarkable 22,500 square foot space was created for, with and by children. Play and learning flow together in unique hands-on settings 
designed with imagination, research and attention to the needs and spirit of today’s learners. Offering a safe, engaging and happy atmosphere The Discovery Center fosters play, sparks creative thinking and builds self-esteem. Our exhibits, our themes and our ambiance are community specific, yet we leave a wide margin for global discovery.
The Discovery Center, located in Ross Park next to the Binghamton Zoo, has 30 play and learn exhibits that children can dig, drive, fly, shop, hop, perform and paint their way through. Soaring above the clouds in our A-10 cockpit, groovin’ in our Recollections III exhibit, shopping smart, directing an emergency call, dining out international-style, and sampling simple science are, perhaps the first steps in preparing a child to succeed in a changing society. The Story Garden, a Children's Interactive Garden containing 13 interactive areas focusing on children's literature themes, opened in summer 2007. August 2008 brought the opening of our newest exhibit, Pedal Power!
In addition to our interactive exhibits, we offer family workshops, early childhood adventures, art expressions, school programs, multi-cultural awareness, DISCOVERY KID'S SUMMER CAMPS, a state certified K-5 after school program and a licensed preschool during the academic year. We also have in-school educational programs for Grades Pre-K through 5 with all program presentations adapted to the appropriate age and grade level. Our Discovery Adventures meet New York State learning standards. The mission of our programming is to offer children and their families quality, hands-on, interactive experiences.
The air conditioned facility offers free parking, inside & outdoor picnic areas, vending services, diaper changing facilities and nursing room and is on the B.C. Transit bus line.
History of The Discovery Center of the Southern Tier
In 1978, The Binghamton Junior League, together with and interested community group of private and professional individuals, began to collaborate on a unique venture for the Southern Tier Region. A children’s museum was proposed which was to contain the accepted youth museum criteria of interactive activities designed for spontaneous learning, sparking the imagination, and engaging the senses. The philosophical concept focused on awareness of “self” as it relates to the community, the environment and the world. Funding and support came easily, and the successful result was the 1984 opening of The Discovery Center of the Southern Tier in an abandoned inner city school gymnasium. The downtown location was important both for visibility, and introducing a non-traditional museum into a fairly conservative community. The reception to the concept, in a community with an already impressive cultural pulse, was beyond comprehension. Increased attendance, lake of adequate storage space, and an incentive to go beyond the emerging Phase necessitated a search for a permanent site to accommodate our needs. Negotiations resulted (1986) in the choice of a utility building in a historical park. The park, owned by the city, has a history as a space for family recreation. Located at the opposite end of the park is a zoo, the third oldest in the country, whose focus is on endangered species. The Zoo is well run, and has been thoughtfully developed. The total space offered many possibilities for our physical growth, as well as introducing a natural potential for Discovery Center/Zoo collaborative efforts. These were strong factors in our selection. We have grown, and our relationship with the Zoo results in ongoing collaborative programming and fundraising efforts.
The facility, originally a garage/ maintenance building, was in need of total renovation. In 1986, The Binghamton Junior League initiated a capital fund drive to recycle the building. Exhibit space, classroom, storage areas, administrative offices and a workshop were included in the plan. In March 1988 the reordered facility opened to the public. The exhibit area contained both interactive remnants of the former space, and several new exhibits. However, in transition, the intimacy, and the anticipated “discovery” around every corner had been lost. Interactive units were randomly placed, the exhibit concept lacked continuity, acoustics were a problem, and no provision had been made for air conditioning or temperature control. However, in spite of these structural and aesthetic shortcomings, the museum was popular. A Discovery Center-Zoo day was very appealing concept for families both in this, and neighboring, counties.
In January 1989, a new director was hired and given the challenge to revitalize the interactive exhibit area, and bring the museum to a degree of professionalism. To facilitate change, the Zoo and The Discovery Center immediately collaborated on presenting the popular traveling exhibit, “DINOSAURS!” Existing exhibits were removed, stored, and “DINOSAURS!” was installed. Behind the scenes a reconstruction team of architect, design consultant, artists, staff, area teachers, professionals, and board members worked to prepare for the major renovation project that would begin as the dinosaurs moved on! Construction began January 10, 1990.
The interactive exhibit area is colorful, intimate, and relevant to the history, environment, ethnicity, and natural resources of the region. Since April 1, 1990 we have continued to see increases in both visitor attendance and membership, and have culled new financial consideration and community support. We continue our focus on strategies which bring children and their families together to explore their lives, their beliefs, and to experience the rich and varied cultures of those who have historically formed the patterns of our region, and continue to do so today. We encourage the celebration of life in all forms. We promote intergenerational sharing, social interaction of families, and further complementing traditional learning experiences. Continued planning, prudent change, evaluation, and a vigilant response to our audience determines that we continue to be a vital social and educational resource in the regional scheme of things.
In 2002, we completed a $1 million expansion project to enhance our visitor services, increase classroom space, become more handicapped accessible, add space for traveling exhibits and a performance venue, increase fabrication and storage space, and create an outdoor play space.
The year 2004 marked our Twentieth Birthday. We celebrated with the creation and opening of our newest exhibit, “Scurry, Scuttle & Scamper: Into the Pages of Jan Brett,” based on the books of author/illustrator Jan Brett. We now offer a State certified, daily after school program for children in grades K-5, a State licensed Pre School and U.P.K. site for the Binghamton City School District. We now have a resident chorale group The Parlor City Boys’ Chorus for boys from age 7-12. We have also taken under our umbrella Arts Partners, a local capacity building re-grant program available for arts-in-education programs made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.
This year we celebrate Twenty Five Years! We look upon ourselves as agents of change. For our audiences, we have clearly provided opportunities for the change of attitudes, understanding, capabilities, and knowledge.
60 Morgan Road, Binghamton, NY 13903
Phone: 607-773-8661 Fax: 607-773-8019
email: help@thediscoverycenter.org
