Located in the heart of the Harrington Regional Medical Center, the Don Harrington Discovery Center is a museum with a diverse collection of special exhibits on physical, earth, and life sciences. It is beautifully set in the center of a 51-acre park with a lake and picnic area at 1200 Streit Drive, in Amarillo, Texas.
A member of the Association of Science Technology Centers, the center is a private, not-for-profit organization. Its main aim is to make science exciting and resourceful to all types of learners, by providing interactive exhibits and programs that actively engage children, adolescents, and their families.
The center is interesting with hands-on-exhibits, a 360-degree space theater, a 3,000-gallon aquarium, and a botanical garden. A Digistar 3 digital theater system, the space theater features star shows, a night sky program, and specially produced films with spectacular visual effects. The aquarium has both saltwater and freshwater habitats.
The museum’s exhibit gallery provides opportunities to learn about sound, structures, helium, puzzles, weather, and optical illusions. Another attractive area in the center is StarLab, which provides the experience of visiting a planetarium without leaving the room. Highlights also include a Foucault pendulum, which rotates independently on the earth’s gravitational pull.
Further, the center organizes special events, workshops, and educational and outreach programs.