Creative Discovery Museum
Since our primary reason of visiting Chattanooga was for Brad to attend JoeCon, we wanted to make sure and do a few things for Melody while there. I did some research, and we decided to try the Creative Discovery Museum. It was literally right next door to our hotel {we shared a parking lot}, and by visiting the Tennessee Aquarium first, you can save a few dollars per admission. It looked like something Melody would absolutely love, so we decided to try and fit it in our schedule.
We had some time on Saturday morning that we were able to go as soon as they opened. During the summer, they open at 9:30. We were literally the first guests through the door. We received a discount on our tickets because we went to the Aquarium on Thursday. So our total for all three of us was $39. We received arm bands so that we could come and go throughout the day if we wanted.
The first room we came to was a large play area along with a water portion. When we entered, we intentionally avoided this area. And since we were the first ones, Melody didn't notice. However, when we left, she noticed all the kids, so I did let her play for a few minutes.
The next room had an craft area, and some other random activities for the kids. We played with the track set for a little bit before it became "too boring".
We spent a good portion of our trip in the 4 year old and under section. There was an area outside where you could park your stroller. And it was gated so you could let your younger ones roam without feeling like they would escape.
Inside there was a small section for babies under 18 months old.
Everything was made to look a house. There was a kitchen area with a laundry room; cribs and strollers with babies; a garden; a treehouse with a slide; and a cute garage area.
Next up was the art area. It had an area with play dough, some paper with crayons, and some other areas that Melody was too young for.
The next section that we spent a lot of time in was the music area. In the open area they had a lot of larger instruments that you could push buttons on and they would make the sound of the instruments.
They also had a few different rooms with various instruments the kids could play. Her favorites were the drums.
Melody really enjoyed the "Just Move" room. It projected her movements onto a screen, and she had a blast with it.
There was also stage room. The kids could make puppets and do a show with them. There was also a stage with props, sound effects, and clothes to make a show.
Upstairs contained an outside area that we visited, but we didn't stay long. It was hot, and there wasn't much for Melody to do.
Inside contained the feature exhibit which was Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. I tried to get Melody to watch it, but she has never seemed interested. So we didn't spend too much time exploring. I did take a few pictures, and she did visit a few areas. There was also a birthday party going on, so the area was EXTREMELY crowded.
As we headed downstairs, Brad headed back to the hotel to get a few things to take to JoeCon, and Melody and I visited two more areas while we waited. One area was a mineral, rock, sand area. I avoided the sand, but she did look at the minerals and rocks.
We also visited the "doctor" area. They had some babies that you could do check ups on including scales, x-rays, etc.
We left around 11 - 11:30. We wanted to be at JoeCon around noon. We opted to skip lunch at the museum and eat at the convention, but there was a cafeteria area. I didn't get any pictures though. The museum was a lot of fun, and Melody really enjoyed herself. I would go back if we are back in Chattanooga and have time. I am really glad we made time on this trip for Melody to have the opportunity to do something fun.
