The Discovery Center at Murfree Spring will reopen its newly renovated Tiny Town exhibit on Saturday, September 2. With initial planning for the exhibit’s renovation beginning in 2017, the exhibit has been undergoing remodeling since July of this year.
About the Expanded Tiny Town
The expanded Tiny Town will feature a new Murfreesboro Medical Clinic Pediatrics Clinic, where young visitors can role-play as patients or doctors. The museum has also renovated the exhibit’s Publix Super Market with more space for visitors to engage in cooperative play and additional shelving, creating an authentic grocery store experience complete with a refrigerated/frozen section, a grab-and-go counter and interactive checkout stations.
Other additions to the exhibit include a new Central Park area, a Tiny Town Theater, and an interactive mail truck, providing hands-on learning opportunities through imaginative play.
“We are incredibly grateful to Publix Super Markets and Murfreesboro Medical Clinic Pediatrics for their generous sponsorship, making it possible for us to reimagine Tiny Town into an even more immersive and educational experience for our young explorers,” said Tara MacDougall, President and CEO of the Discovery Center. “With the skillful craftsmanship of T8 Exhibits and Casella Interiors and the support of our community advisory group, we are thrilled to welcome families to the expanded and remodeled Tiny Town where they can discover the power of play in the learning process.
“Tiny Town is one of our most popular and cherished permanent exhibits at the Discovery Center and first premiered in 2008,” MacDougall continues. “It includes five role-play environments where young learners aged 5 and under explore how people work, live, and play together. Tiny Town provides a nurturing space for children to recreate familiar events from their own lives while also encouraging the exploration of new ideas crucial to their social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development.”
An Enhanced “Farm to Table” Experience
The Discovery Center has also enhanced the exhibit’s “Farm to Table” experience, which allows children and adults to explore the journey of food from farm to plate. Visitors can engage in various activities, including planting and harvesting crops in the garden area, role-playing as sellers or buyers at the year-round pretend farmer’s market, and creating imaginative recipes in the kitchen. Farm to Table fosters a sense of community, encourages STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) exploration through hands-on experimentation, develops social and emotional skills through interactions with peers and adults, and cultivates life skills related to food selection, purchasing, and preparation.
For more information, visit explorethedc.org or call 615-890-2300.
