ROCKINGHAM — Discovery Place Kids Rockingham celebrated turning 13 this past Sunday, filled with birthday-themed science experiments and activities.
“It’s amazing. It’s hard to believe we’ve been in the community for 13 years and serving the kids in our community for this long,” said Angela Watkins, director of Discovery Place Kids Rockingham. “The museum still looks new, so it doesn’t even feel like it’s 13.”
“Two years ago, we added some new stuff and tried to give it a little facelift to make us look a little bit better,” Watkins added.
In April 2024, the museum opened new and expanded exhibits highlighting local industry in and around Rockingham — including a Vulcan Quarry exhibit and four science research stations exploring astronomy, weather, nature and underground.
“I just hope they enjoy [attendees] being a family and being together in a safe environment where they can learn and play together. Maybe they’ll bring them back to explore more later,” said Watkins.
Discovery Place Kids Rockingham is bringing back its Storybook Ball next month, Saturday, March 28, from 5-7 p.m. “Families can come and dress like their favorite storybook character. The museum will highlight different kids’ literature, different books, traditional and some that are more modern.
Earlier this month, Discovery Place Kids Rockingham was awarded a $75,000 grant through the North Carolina Science Museums Grant Program and funding through the Amazon Web Services $200,000 Richmond County Community Fund, administered through the Richmond County Community Fund.
Last year, Discovery Place Kids Rockingham teamed up with Vulcan Materials to create a program for fourth-graders to visit the museum for a rocks class before taking a field trip for a tour of the quarry.