2026 STEAM Festival at Discovery Park

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, and Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026

10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Location: Discovery Center and Heritage Park

Ready to challenge your mind?

Join Discovery Park of America for a weekend of hands-on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics activities as part of the 2026 Tennessee STEAM Festival. As a featured event in the statewide festival, Discovery Park will offer activities designed to engage curious minds of all ages.

Guests will have opportunities to test their problem-solving skills, explore paleontology, learn about seismology and get a behind-the-scenes look at two of Discovery Park’s popular annual events.

You will discover:

How to use problem-solving skills to complete an escape room challenge

How paleontologists find, excavate, protect and transport fossils

How everyday materials can be transformed into creative works of art

How scientists measure the strength of earthquakes

The basics of designing and building a cardboard boat

Schedule of Events

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

Friday, October 16

Jaws of Life vs. Jaws of Death | 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | Dino Hall

Meet firefighters from the Union City Fire Department and find out if their hydraulic rescue tools can match the bite force of the Megalodon and T.Rex

Dracula’s Cabin: An Escape Room Experience | 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. | Wade Cabin

Bring your wits and test your abilities to create a vampire hunting kit! Be quick… the clock is ticking!

Be sure to sign up early at the Wade Cabin to lock in your time slot.

Cardboard Boat Regatta & Canstruction 101 | 11 a.m.-noon | Chapel Lawn

Discover the secrets behind two of Discovery Park’s most exciting competitions!

Learn expert tips, then design and test a mini cardboard boat to see if it can stay afloat.

Get an inside look at our Canstruction competition, including the rules, design strategies and expectations for this charitable event.

Bring Back that Fossil | 11 a.m.-3 p.m.| Natural History Gallery

Find out how fossils make their way from the underground to the museum floor and learn how paleontologists find and dig up fossil specimens. Then, look at different ways to protect fossils in order to move them from one place to another.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

Saturday, October 17

Dracula’s Cabin: An Escape Room Experience | 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. | Wade Cabin

Bring your wits and test your abilities to create a vampire hunting kit! Be quick… the clock is ticking!

Be sure to sign up early at the Wade Cabin to lock in your time slot.

Rate that Quake | Time to be Announced | Regional History Gallery

Utilizing Discovery Park’s own Earthquake Simulator, come see seismology in action and learn the wide variety of ways that humans can measure earthquakes.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column]

close

keyboard_arrow_right

keyboard_arrow_left

[vc_column_text]The Tennessee STEAM Festival is a statewide celebration that encourages people of all ages to explore science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics through interactive experiences and community events. Discovery Park of America is proud to be a featured event in the 2026 festival.

This event is included with Discovery Park admission or membership.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Community event in Union City, Obion County, TN 38261.