Visitors to the Discovery Center will soon embark on an exploration of tropical rainforests with the museum’s newest traveling exhibit, Rainforest Adventure, opening Saturday, May 12.

Swing like a Spider monkey, discover a rodent that weighs over a hundred pounds, and learn about a beetle that can carry over 850 times its own weight. Visitors can explore one of the least known habitats on earth in a fully interactive maze exhibit, chock-full of the sights and sounds of a tropical rainforest.

More information about Rainforest Adventure is available at www.explorethedc.org/rainforest.

The following special activities will be offered on the exhibit’s opening day, Saturday, May 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and are included with admission:

• Rainforest Rubber: Did you know rubber bands and bouncy balls wouldn’t be possible without the rainforest? Learn more about rubber trees and make your own rubber to take home!
• Animal Art: Make Beautiful Butterflies, Slithering Snakes or even a Totally Awesome Toucan all through the day in Creation Station!
• Storytime in the Jungle: Take a break and read one of our many books all about rainforests with your family, in Tiny Town or upstairs.
• Cold-Blooded Critters (presentations at 10:30, 12:30, 2:30 & 4:30): The rainforest is full of unique animals, especially reptiles! Come learn more about these amazing animals, and compare what you’ve learned about rainforest snakes to some of the animals you can find in Tennessee and other parts of the world.

About Rainforest Adventure

The journey begins in the highest treetops surrounded by migratory birds and radiant sunlight. In an effort to reach the forest floor, visitors answer questions about the rainforest. Incorrect answers lead to dead-ends while correct answers lead them deeper into the four layers of the rainforest: emergent, canopy, understory and forest floor.

Rainforest Adventure offers visitors an interactive experience that empowers visitors to make a difference after they learn how essential rainforests are to human health and survival, and that by caring for the rainforest they are caring for the planet.

Open through Sept. 3, Rainforest Adventure is included with general admission and free for members.

About the Discovery Center

The Discovery Center at Murfree Spring is a hands-on, environmental, cultural and educational museum located in the heart of Middle Tennessee. More than 120,000 children and families visit annually, exploring exhibits and participating in programs that promote STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts & math) education. Adjacent to the Center is the protected Murfree Spring wetlands, a natural habitat for a variety of fish, amphibians and birds. Located at 502 S.E. Broad Street in Murfreesboro, TN, the Center is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, visit www.explorethedc.org or call (615) 890-2300.