The Discovery World Science and Technology Center in Milwaukee is a 12,000 square foot facility featuring hands-on educational exhibits, an aquarium, labs, and a promenade with shopping and a Ship that operates seasonally.

About

Discovery World Science and Technology Center is appropriate and enjoyable for the entire family with interactive exhibits centered on the natural world and innovation. The center is comprised on 4 distinct areas—A promenade where visitors will find shopping and dining opportunities, the Technology Building, Aquatarium Building, and The Sailing Vessel.

Discovery World offers many opportunities for private events such as corporate functions, birthday parties and weddings. Offering indoor and outdoor rental options, Discovery World has award winning catering through Bartolotta Catering and Events, views of the lake and downtown, with video production, and museum access available. The S/V Denis Sullivan Ship can also be privately chartered for 50 people.

The center is fully handicap accessible with a heated, underground parking garage with handicap parking spaces located near the elevators. Stroller and wheelchair rental is available. Boaters may also dock at the harbor for a small fee while visiting the center. These spaces are limited.

Exhibits

Discovery World features permanent and traveling exhibits that engage people of all ages in interactive and educational activities to learn about science and technology. Exhibits that are temporary or traveling are detailed on the center’s website.

Reiman Aquarium- The Reiman Aquarium explores bodies of water from the Great Lakes to the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean. Some of the most popular areas of the aquarium are the Touch tanks where visitors can touch a real shark and the Underwater Labs. The aquarium also includes exhibits featuring marine life from around the world including a 75,000-gallon tank featuring fish from Lake Michigan, a Jelly Fish tank, Seahorse tank, and submarine.

Great Lakes Future- The largest interactive model of the great lakes ever made, this exhibit allows visitors to create a rainstorm over Lake Huron, travel a sky bridge, look through underwater portals, manage the dam system, and see the tree of life.

The City of Freshwater & Liquid House- This exhibit teaches visitors about green infrastructure and waste water. The process of the MMSD is also explored and visitors can learn how to reduce water loss.

Challenge- The Challenge is a replica of the schooner built by William Wallace Bates in 1852 and sailed on The Great Lakes. This replica was built in 2005 by Rob Stevens and visitors can explore both above and below deck and learn about the physics of sailing.

Simple Machine Shipyard- This exhibit provides multiple simple machines that visitors can engage with such as an inclined plane, wheel and axle, and levers.

The Music Factory- This exhibit is an extension of the Rockwell Automation Dream Machine and allows visitors to make their own music through interactive kiosks in 3 steps—composer, visualizer, and controller.

Dream Machine- Step into the future in this exhibit where everything is controlled by robots. Visitors can make products to take home, challenge robots to games, and control the dome of the museum as well as a robot assembly line.

Milwaukee Muscle- Explore movement and power in an exhibit that investigates how hydraulics and motors work in the world engineering and machinery. Visitors can work a mini-excavator, automatons, or take a flight on an airline simulator.

Physics and You- Gravity and over elements of physics are explored in this hands-on exhibit that also teaches aerodynamics, Newton’s Law of Motion, and principles of electricity.

Johnson Controls Innovation Planet- This exhibit area features the work of one of the great innovators of Milwaukee, Warren Johnson. This man invented the thermostat, steam and gas-powered cars and well as pneumatic clocks.

Energy & Ingenuity- Visitors can go inside the control room of a nuclear reactor, a wind turbine, and experiment with infrared cameras in this exhibit.

The Distant Mirror- Explore the past through interactive stations that act like real archaeological methods to overserve ancient artifacts and documents that tell the history of Milwaukee.

Virtual Reality- The newest exhibit at the Discovery Center, visitors can explore multiple environment and storytelling adventures through Virtual Reality Simulations.

Les Paul’s House of Sound- Visitors can make their own music and view the Les Paul guitar collection here.

Clean Air Trek- Reducing air pollution and human’s carbon footprint is the focus of the Clean Air Trek.

BIG- This exhibit is presented through Caterpillar and explores the world of mining and the tools used in this trade as well as fossils of the region.

Wind Leaves- A musical outdoor exhibit that was designed by Ned Kahn, a nature artist, and rotates with the wind.

S/V Denis Sullivan- The sailing ship is a recreation of the 19th century schooner that once sailed the great lakes. The boat can accommodate 50 people and has a 10-person crew offering 2 hour tours and private charters.

Kohls Design it Lab- Lab team members assist visitors in using tools to create 3D products.

500 N Harbor Dr. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Phone: 414-765-9966

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