OCALA, Fla. (Sept. 8, 2021)—The Discovery Center, 701 NE Sanchez Ave., will open its doors free of charge to all Museum Day ticketholders Saturday Sept. 18 as part of Smithsonian magazine’s 17th annual Museum Day, a national celebration of boundless curiosity in which participating museums emulate the free admission policy at the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington DC-based museums.
Museum Day goes beyond getting visitors through museum doors—it acts as a springboard to empower and help advance the hopes and ambitions of the public, particularly school-aged children, and those in underrepresented communities. It represents a national commitment to access, equity and inclusion.
Participants will be able to explore the Discovery Center’s Ready Set Go exhibit. The exhibit explores the many modes of transportation, that move people and goods around the world. There will be hands-on experimentation stations and activities such as a toy engine auto-garage where children learn about auto mechanic skills, a kid-sized drag race strip with kid-sized, foot-powered cars, a model train, working traffic light, and a drag racing suit from Ocala’s Burnyzz team, plus much more. This exhibit is sponsored by Marion Rotary Duck Derby, Ocala Electric Utilities, Burnyzz and the Discovery Center Foundation.
Museum Day tickets are available for download at Smithsonianmag.com/MuseumDay. Visitors who present a Museum Day ticket will gain free entrance for two to the Discovery Center Sept. 18. One ticket is permitted per email address. A list of participating museums can be found at Smithsonianmag.com/MuseumDay. Additional fees are required to participate in the pop-up Song-A-Long program and reservation-only StarLab planetarium. Visit the Discovery Center website for more information.
For more information, please visit Smithsonianmag.com/MuseumDay.
About Smithsonian Media
Smithsonian Media is comprised of its flagship publication, Smithsonian magazine, Air & Space magazine, Smithsonian Books, and the Smithsonian Media Digital Network. In addition, Smithsonian Media oversees the Smithsonian Institution’s interest in the Smithsonian Channel, a joint venture between the Smithsonian Institution and CBS/Showtime. Smithsonian Media is a division of Smithsonian Enterprises, the revenue-generating business unit of the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum and research complex consisting of 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park, and nine research facilities. Approximately 30 million people from around the world visit the museums annually.
