The Discovery Center

We are a community-based educational history and science center offering the children and citizens hands-on learning experiences to stimulate passion, curiosity and wonder for the sciences and our environment.

The Discovery Center of Fresno is rooted with The Roessler family, who generously gifted the 5-acre property to the the City of Fresno, specifically for the benefit for the children in the community. The winery was once the site of the Estella Blanca Vineyards founded by F.M. Roessler in 1892 which produced brandy until prohibition. The Roessler family then donated the land so that the children of the community would have a wonderful, green place to go and enjoy and thusly, Reedy Park and The Fresno Jr. Museum of Science and Natural History were established on the site in 1954.

On July 1, 1968, non-profit status for the organization was secured. The Discovery Center was renamed in the 1970’s due to the curating of educational classes, exhibit displays as well as live animal exhibits, which is still carried on today.

In recent years, Fresno Discovery Center has provided a myriad of educational programming opportunities for schools throughout the Central Valley, from as far south as Bakersfield. The Center is currently reaching over 12,860 school children through school field trips alone. The Discovery Center served an additional 26,889 visitors and members in the last fiscal year.

Our park includes our beautiful Deutsch Cactus Garden, tortoise compound and lots of space for kids to run, have lunch and just be KIDS while our hands-on interactive science museum includes an array of information and exhibits on Space, Botany, Geology, Indiginous People and LIVE animals.