Hands On! Discovery Center at Gray Fossil Site, Tennessee, United States
3.5 (29 reviews) Thursday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Ranking #17 in Johnson City Natural History Museums • Science Museums • Children's Museums
Go for the Fossil Dig, not the Children’s Museum
This all-ages science center offers fun interactive exhibits that include immersive augmented reality experiences, a bi-polar musical Tesla coil, giant building blocks, a 3-story Paleo tower, a maker space, an art studio, and much more! Guests are invited to engineer a rocket, build a wind-powered car, create an artistic masterpiece, and discover something new. Visit an active fossil dig site dating back 5 million years and enjoy exhibits and programs featuring the plant and animal fossils that have been unearthed at the site, including tapir, rhinoceros, saber-tooth cat, alligator, short-faced bear, red panda, and a 10-ton mastodon! Additional exhibits will open later this year, including an outdoor garden opening in summer 2021!
Address
1212 Suncrest Dr, Johnson City, TN 37615
Mobile
Website
http://www.visithandson.org/
Working hours
Monday : 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday : 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday : 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday : 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday : 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday : 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday : 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Current local date and time now
Thursday, May 09, 2024, 13:31
User Ratings
3.5 based on (29 reviews)
Reviews
-
3Mrs.Bacon 5:00 PM May 28, 2021
Disappointed
My mom took me to the Hands On Museum in Johnson City as a kid and I loved it. I could not wait to take my child here but it is pretty different from the old site. We were disappointed and missed the attractions from the old site. I really expected this to be great and there were some great hands on things at the new museum but it is lacking and felt repetitive. The hands on station in the main building is too similar to the hands on station in the second building. I would love to see the play grocery store and bank brought back. It just felt not as playful as the old location.
-
4Heather S 5:00 PM Sep 28, 2019
Good but not what I remembered
My 8 yr old autistic daughter had a blast here. She loved the topography sand immensely and the make it take it had her creating for about an hour. As adults we liked the wooden blocks more than I would like to admit. The staff was amazing, two of the young women working helped us build things and were a pleasure to talk to. This is the first time that I've been to Hands On, since I was a child and I hate that none of the cool stuff I remember from the down town location was at the new location, it now seems small and kinda cramped.
