Science & Discovery Center of Northwest Florida

The Science & Discovery Center of Northwest Florida is Panama City’s hands-on children’s museum, with interactive science and natural history exhibits. Its roots go back to 1967, when the Junior Women’s Club and the Women’s Club of Panama City began working toward a museum for local children. The first exhibits opened in 1969, and it was long known as the Junior Museum of Bay County before taking its current name in 2011.

The center is at 308 Airport Rd, Panama City, FL 32405; call 850-769-6128 or visit scienceanddiscoverycenter.org. The main building went up in 1981, and a 6,000-square-foot visitor center and classroom building opened in 2010. After heavy damage from Hurricane Michael in 2018, the center was rebuilt and reopened in May 2021 with updated exhibits.

Programming leans toward young learners: Science Spots for Tots on Tuesdays at 10:30am, and Toddler Time in the soft play area on Thursdays at 10am. The nonprofit also offers homeschool programs, field trips, summer camps and birthday parties, runs the Academy of Science & Discovery (a STEM-based preschool for ages 3 to 5), and hosts seasonal events such as Spooky Science at Halloween.

Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10am to 4pm. Admission is $12 for adults and for children ages 2 to 17, and $11 for seniors and military (as of September 2026). Bay District School teachers get in free with school ID, and memberships are available for frequent visitors.