Mayborn Museum’s Discovery Center Keeps Kids Learning

By RACHEL STRICKLAND | Photos courtesy of the MAYBORN MUSEUM

Summer is here, kids are out of school, and parents are looking for ways to keep their kids busy and engaged with educational activities. The Mayborn Museum Complex in Waco is a perfect solution. Along with its fascinating sections and exhibits, the museum has a Discovery Center that’s just for kids, and it’s the perfect afternoon activity for young people to play, learn and beat the heat.

The Mayborn Museum has been part of Baylor University in Waco since the 1800s, but its looked a little different over the years. According to Molly Noah, the marketing coordinator, the museum was once just a Natural History Museum before combining with the Children’s Museum. She says that in 2004, the building in which they are currently located was built, and it officially became the Mayborn Museum Complex that exists today. The museum is divided into sections: the Natural and Cultural History Exhibits, a Historic Village, and the Jeanes Discovery Center.

The Discovery Center, which occupies two floors of the complex, is a space designed for kids to enjoy with their parents and caregivers. According to Noah, the children’s side “focuses on hands-on engagement and the opportunity for families to play and learn together. In our discovery wing, we have several rooms that are dedicated to a topic. And then within the room, there are several points of engagement for families to learn and play together.”

Within the Discovery Center, there are many different rooms, including a Light and Sound room where kids can play with oversized instruments, a Jurassic Augmented Reality area where they can walk with dinosaurs, and a SpaceX room that has a large rocket engine. Noah says that room “gives families an opportunity to think about what it would be like to go to space.”

Downstairs, the Discovery Center offers something called Play Waco, which is designed specifically for kids that are 5 years old and younger, and it’s all about creating a miniature version of the city. It has a mini fire station, a mini H-E-B, and even a miniature version of Waco’s historic theater, the Hippodrome.

According to Noah, it’s the museum’s most popular exhibit. “People are actually very sad when they age out,” she says, laughing.

Every spring and summer, the Jeanes Discovery Center has a different traveling exhibit to keep things fresh. This summer, a DC Superheroes exhibit is on display through Sept. 11. It allows kids to learn teamwork, build confidence and discover their own superpower.

It’s easy to forget that the Mayborn Museum isn’t just for kids: it has several exhibits, including “Founding to Future: The Bright Lights of Baylor University,” which details the history of Baylor. It also has the Historic Village that replicates what life was like in the 1890s, complete with a schoolhouse, a church and some houses. There’s no doubt that the Mayborn Museum Complex is a place for the whole family to spend an entire day learning and having fun together. However, the remarkable Discovery Center is unmatched as an affordable way for kids to get out of the heat and learn something new this summer.

IF YOU GO
Mayborn Museum Complex at Baylor University
1300 S. University Parks Drive, Waco
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday,
1 to 5 p.m. Sunday
Admission: Adults, $10; children (age 2-12), $8;
seniors (age 65+), $9; Baylor students and museum members, free