Everything You Need to Know About The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Museum

The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Museum may be on your list if you have a little astronaut in your life. Located in Concord, NH, this museum honors two New Hampshire astronauts (one lost in the Challenger explosion). If you’re considering a trip to the Granite State and wondering what to expect, you’ve come to the right place!

MCAULIFFE-SHEPARD DISCOVERY CENTER FAST FACTS

Address	2 Institute Dr. / Concord, NH
Hours of Operation	Wednesday – Sunday: 10:30 AM – 4 PM
Admission (Adult / Child* / Senior* / Group)	$13 / $10 / $12 / $10
Parking	Lot, free, paved
Water Bottle Filler	No, but there is a water fountain
Picnic Friendly	Yes
Bathroom / Changing Room	Male / Female / Family
Stroller Friendly	Yes
Gear Recommendation	Ergo or other baby-wearing appartus
Apparel Recommendation	Seasonally appropriate clothing + a layer
Sunscreen / Bug spray?	Sunscreen, if playing on the playground
Breastfeeding Friendliness	It can be done.
Best Ages to Visit	8+

McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center Layout

The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center is not a huge facility. It is two floors and you can easily walk end to end in a few minutes. The planetarium and most of the interactive exhibits are downstairs, with a few historical exhibits on the upper floor. There is also a cafeteria and gift shop on the lower level. There are bathrooms on both floors, and an elevator that can take you between the two. The elevator is large enough for a small stroller (probably not a double), but the facility isn’t big enough to justify bringing one, in my opinion.

Exhibits

KID’S FAVORITE

DAD’S FAVORITE

The replica of the Mount Washington Observatory. He’s a man of few words and fewer emotions. His answer here was “I thought it was cool the replica of the hut.” There wasn’t much to it, but I guess it gives our children a precursor to our visit up there.

Biological Functions

FOOD

There is a small cafeteria at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center. We didn’t peek around due to the other groups that were in there. It was a bit overwhelming because this place doesn’t absorb groups well. Just know that it’s there, so you will survive if you forgot to pack something. Additionally, I noticed a homeschool group pop around the corner to the right of the facility for a picnic. There were picnic tables back there and plenty of space to run around.

WATER

We did not see any water bottle fillers at the Discovery Center, but we did see a set of water fountains. I imagine the cafeteria also has water bottles available for sale.

BATHROOM

There are bathrooms on both levels of the facility. The museum has male, female and family bathrooms. We utilized the family bathroom on the first floor. There was plenty of space for all five of us, and it was very clean. The changing table was either infrequently used or very well sanitized, or both. They also have a diaper pail next to the changing table to keep fragrances to a minimum.

Ways to Save

The most obvious way to save on a visit is to check the reciprocal admission to any other membership you might have. Memberships to Squam Lakes Science Center and Acton Discovery Museum both offer an entire month free to visit. If you’re vacationing in the Granite State, and don’t have access to a library pass, you might consider purchasing a Breathe NH Fun Pass. I’ve perused the book a few times, and it looks like it has some great deals. The museum also participates in many other programs, such as the AAA discount, Blue Star Museum discount and Museums for All. You can learn more about their discount programs here.

Trendsetter Takeaway

That’s not to say this place was entirely terrible, it just wasn’t for my crew. With the planetarium, I could see where this would be a decent outing for the 8-12 year old set, provided they have some understanding of, or interest in, space and history. Additionally, going on a day where there are *no school groups* would probably be in everyone’s best interest. The day we went, there were three school groups and a large homeschool group. The school groups were maniacs – literally shaking the bars on the playground structure like caged monkeys. We walked out onto the playground and did an about-face. Outside of the flight simulator, everything else you could see by spending a day at Boston’s Museum of Science. Unless you’re Challenger die-hards, I’d skip this one and head there, instead.