Discover! Children’s Museum (DCM) strongly believes that encouraging imaginative and fun activities leads to meaningful developmental growth. The value of such Children’s facilities is well known around the world. Because DCM provides shared experiences for the entire family, more memorable discoveries and learning can easily happen. There are few family activity facilities in Lewis County, and during the winter months, there are even fewer. Many families travel outside our county to enjoy family fun and educational opportunities.

This problem was clearly understood by the Chehalis Community Renaissance Team in their 2009 Comprehensive Plan for the area, which integrated a children’s museum. Since then, the original DCM concept team and additional volunteers formed a children’s museum advisory group and became a separate 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Our Pilot Museum Project was launched in 2013. This was a test program and was only intended to be open for six months. With much better participation than forecast, the pilot was open for eleven months and made a small profit.

Between 2020 and 2022, the vision for a permanent home for Discover! Children’s Museum took shape through the development of the United Learning Center (ULC) in downtown Centralia, at the corner of Pearl and Maple, at 415 N. Pearl Street. The museum became a key partner in the ULC concept alongside United Way of Lewis County, the City of Centralia, Bezos Academy’s tuition-free preschool, and the Boys & Girls Club, of Lewis County working together to create a seamless learning experience for children and youth ages 3 through 18.

Early momentum was supported by significant commitments, including $3 million secured through the Washington State Department of Commerce, a City of Centralia land donation and financial commitment of approximately $1.9 million, and a $1 million grant from the TransAlta/Centralia Coal Transition Board. Partners officially broke ground on June 8, 2021, and project communications and coordination continued through 2022 as the structure, partnerships, and long-term vision were further solidified.

From 2023 through 2025, construction progressed while the project navigated funding and timing challenges during the build-out period. Partners pursued additional public actions and bridge funding solutions to keep the project moving forward and maintain momentum toward completion. As the facility neared readiness, 2026 marked the final ramp-up to opening, with Discover! Children’s Museum publicly announcing an April 2026 launch and the start of a new chapter for families across Lewis County.