Discovery Gateway, Salt Lake City

Discovery Gateway, located in downtown Salt Lake City, is an interactive children's museum dedicated to hands-on learning and creative exploration. Originally established as The Children's Museum of Utah in 1978, it first opened its doors in 1983 in the Wasatch Warm Springs building. As it grew from eight original exhibits, such as a paleontology dig and a simulated airline cockpit, it quickly became clear that the museum needed a larger space. With community support, TCMU relocated in 2006 to its current 60,000-square-foot facility at The Gateway, transforming into Discovery Gateway.

The museum offers an engaging variety of exhibits across multiple floors, all designed with children in mind. The second floor features The Garden, where kids can experiment with sounds on a giant marimba or play in a penny-drop exhibit, while Kid’s Eye View invites them to explore a pint-sized town complete with a market and construction zone. For toddlers, there’s Hatch, Waddle, and Fly, an area focused on sensory development and imaginative play. On the third floor, The Story Factory encourages children to try their hand at stop-motion animation, play direction, and comic strip creation. In The Studio, science, art, and invention blend together, fostering creativity and learning. Outdoors, Saving Lives From The Sky showcases a real-life Intermountain Healthcare Life Flight helicopter, where kids can explore rescue operations up close.

Discovery Gateway also hosts rotating national exhibits, such as "Robots: The Interactive Exhibition" and "Sesame Street Presents: The Body," to introduce fresh topics and ideas. The museum runs a range of educational programs, from early childhood classes to workshops focusing on fine motor skills, science, and art. Notably, the museum introduced Sensory Inclusive Afternoons in 2012, creating a quieter, low-stimulation environment for children with autism.

In collaboration with Junior Achievement of Utah, Discovery Gateway operates Junior Achievement City on the fourth floor. Here, school groups participate in immersive economic and financial education, learning about the free enterprise system and personal finance through realistic, hands-on experiences.