FREE First Friday Nights at The Discovery Museum

Free Admission, Parking, and Hikes in Conservation Land

Admission to the Discovery Museum is FREE the first Friday night of each month during the school year (except September) and every Friday night during the summer, beginning in late June, from 4:30 to 8 p.m. You can get there from Boston in under an hour and easily spend hours in the indoor and outdoor exhibits. The museum is located at 177 Main Street (Route 27) in
Acton. Round out your visit with a hike in the nearby Great Hill Conservation Area. Parking is free. Check out many other ways to get free or discounted admission to the Discovery Museum. 

Reserve Free Tickets for Your Visit

Reserve tickets online or by phone by calling 978-264-4200. Members can reserve three days before a visit; non-members two days before their visit. The Museum has both indoor (Discovery Museum) and outdoor (Discovery Woods) elements.

The Discovery Museum At a Glance (Indoor)

 

• All ages can play, explore, and learn.
• Youngest learners can have immersive experiences. 
• There are new galleries of STEAM experiences for all ages.
• All exhibits are hands-on, low-tech, open-ended and interactive.

What You’ll Find

Toys: the Inside Story

Explore what makes toys work.

Light and Color Gallery

Interact with light and color through LEDs and other materials.

Simple Machines Gallery

See how mechanics get things done.

da Vinci Workshop

Tinker like an inventor.

AirPlay

Find out what happens when air moves.

Water Gallery

Explore water and get wet.

Brain Building Together

Built for infants aged 0-3. Share stories, play and spend time together.

Sound Gallery

Listen to sounds and feel their vibrations.

Yes! It’s Math!

Hands-on exploration of the math we use in daily life.

Bessie’s Diner

Run a pretend diner.

Backyard at Night

See how things are different at night (indoor).

Train Room

Buy tickets, schedule a trip, operate the train and build or repair a track.

Ship Room

Sail on a ship.

Discovery Woods At a Glance (Outdoor)

• Inclusive, fully accessible and open year-round.
• Explore the treehouse.
• Bounce the wiggly bridge.
• Sway in the nest swing.
• Climb the cargo net.
• Explore the woodland nook.
• Check out the rain garden.
• Check into a beaver lodge.
• Explore acres of adjoining conservation land. 

What You’ll Find

Adventure Hill

Slide, climb small and large boulders, climb to the top of the fort and hide in The Hideout.

Discovery Treehouse

Five hundred fifty square feet of fun, accessible from an on-grade elevated walkway that accommodates strollers and wheelchairs. Children can design and build structures inside the treehouse; make observations from 19 feet above the ground; curl up in the Book Nook; learn about different kinds of wood; and do different activities on Live-Edge Tables.

Nature Playscape

This is the inclusive and accessible space around the Treehouse. Climb across the Cargo Net; rest on the Log Couch; sway in the nest swing; hang out in a man-made beaver lodge; peek into a birdhouse to see if anyone’s home; and observe nature in the Rain Garden.

Try a Trail

Grab a map and try a trail in the Great Hill Conservation Area.

Bessie the Dinosaur

Sit on the museum’s mascot or even help give her a bath.

Slap-a-Phone

Make music by hitting 25 white tubes created by artist Arthur Ganson.

Fairyborough

An ever-changing space for volunteer projects. A good spot to have a snack.

Earth Geo-Physical Globe

Explore a 6-foot topographical globe.

Orienteering

Try the Short Loop, Around the Pond, and the Off Trail Challenge. How quickly can you find your way? Learn more about orienteering.