Who We Are

Located on the banks of the Animas River in a historic coal-fired, steam-generated AC power plant, the Durango Discovery Museum presents a wide range of programs, exhibits, and activities designed to provide an entertaining and inspiring look at "energy — past, present, and future."

The Durango Discovery Museum is Southwest Colorado's hands-on, interactive science center for all ages. Open year-round, the museum is a dynamic new place for family adventure, school field trips, early childhood learning, special events, “hanging around by the river, messing around with amazing technology, and just plain geeking out.”

Our Mission

To spark curiosity, ignite imagination, power exploration.

Our Vision

To be a leading science and educational center in the Southwest that brings together curious minds of all ages, inspires innovative learning, and unleashes human potential.

Our Values

Education
We believe that interactive discovery plus science education should be available to everyone; it fosters a love of learning and develops creative, critical thinkers.
Science
We believe that an appreciation and understanding of science is integral to being an informed citizen. Exposing children to the sciences at an early age is critical to fostering their natural curiosity.
Energy
We recognize that energy was a primary motivation for the development of the Powerhouse, and that energy is integral to all human endeavor.
History
We draw inspiration from early scientists and inventors as we develop a forward-thinking center that showcases energy technology and challenges us to explore future energy possibilities.
Community
We value our role as a gathering place, as well as a science-and-cultural center for all families.
Leadership
Our work is to inspire youth to be informed leaders and leaders to be better informed.
Trust
We have a responsibility to be a resource for accurate and meaningful information. We are fiscally accountable and responsible to our stakeholders.

The Discovery Museum is committed to creating a science center that is welcoming to all communities in the Four Corners and beyond. Professional exhibit design firms are currently under contract to fabricate hands-on, interactive science-and-energy exhibits for all ages that reflect the past, present, and future of energy. The exhibits will have signage in Spanish and English, as well as key words in Southern Ute.

Learning about the science of AC electricity is much more engaging when you are standing inside an actual AC power plant (the Powerhouse building). Similarly, learning photosynthesis from a life-sized tree (the eTree exhibit) with leaves that mimic solar panels, or learning about Earth Science, energy, climate and our relationship to the environment by manipulating data connected to a 30-inch 3-D globe (the Magic Planet exhibit) is more engaging and more memorable for students of all ages. These are but a few examples of the unique experiences that the Discovery Museum will provide as a context for expanding young SUIT minds and engage them in science.

New Colorado Academic Science Standards covered at the Discovery Museum include:

  1. Apply an understanding that energy exists in various forms, and its transformation and conservation occur in processes that are predictable and measurable.
  2. Analyze the relationship between structure and function in living systems at a variety of organizational levels, and recognize livings systems’ dependence on natural selection.
  3. Describe how humans are dependent on the diversity of resources provided by Earth and sun.
  4. Observe, explain and predict natural phenomena governed by Newton's laws of motion, acknowledging the limitations of their application to very small or very fast objects.
  5. Apply an understanding of atomic and molecular structure to explain the properties of matter, and predict outcomes of chemical and nuclear reactions.
  6. Describe and interpret how Earth's geologic history and place in space are relevant to our understanding of the processes that have shaped our planet.

The Discovery Museum does and will continue to create a new generation of budding scientists and energy literate youth by pairing excellent curriculum with physical experiences which are designed to move the student beyond simple acquisition of information, to application, synthesis, and evaluation of that information. This critical thinking process is a key foundational skill necessary for success in science classes at all grade levels and is critical to developing an informed citizenry.