Discovery Center Springfield MO

Find out how you can take advantage of one library perk that gets your family into the Discovery Center of Springfield for free.

TIME TO DISCOVER: A new collaborative effort in Springfield is bringing a week-long pass of family fun to library card holders. 

Fun and free are rarely found in the same sentence when it comes to entertaining the entire family.

But Springfield-Greene County libraries and the Discovery Center of Springfield have found a way to combine everyone’s two very favorite adjectives, both beginning with the letter F, for a family-packed adventure.

With help from a Parent Information Resource Center grant, the two community-friendly centers have teamed up to make family passes to the Discovery Center available free of charge.

Any library card holder can now take a group of four to explore the Discovery Center’s educational and engaging exhibits—like riding a bike 20 feet in the air while learning how gravity works—at no cost.

Twenty passes have been split up among the Springfield-Greene County Library branches, allowing families access to the Discovery Center for a week at a time. It’s essentially like checking out a library book, only much more interactive.

Charity Huechteman, a children’s associate librarian at the Brentwood Library, says the program has been nothing short of a hit so far, giving more kids in the community access to fun, educational opportunities.

These opportunities include super-sized anatomic models of the human body, astronomy exhibits and much more that will guarantee hours full of amusement.

Passes are first-come, first-served at the libraries. The majority of exhibits in the Discovery Center are free with admission; however, some might have an additional charge.

Once every exhibit has been explored, simply head home—no need to return the pass!

WHAT: Discovery Center of Springfield

COST: $12 adults, $8 children

WHERE: 438 E. Saint Louis St., Springfield, 417-862-9910, discoverycenter.org

WHEN: Tues.–Thurs., 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; Fri.–Sat., 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sun., 1–5 p.m. 

Free Library Passes: To get your hands on a free pass, all you need is a Springfield-Greene County Library card. Head to any local library, ask for a four-person pass and take the provided piece of paper to the Discovery Center. Make sure to bring a photo ID to verify that you are the passholder and enjoy a day (or week) full of discovery at no cost!