Don Harrington Discovery Center

What Don Harrington Discovery Center does

Don Harrington Discovery Center (DHDC) is a nonprofit science and technology museum founded in 1976 and located at 1200 Streit Drive in Amarillo, Texas. It operates under the parent nonprofit Discovery Center Collective, which also manages Wildcat Bluff Nature Center as a wholly-owned subsidiary. The museum occupies a 50,000 sq ft indoor facility complemented by a 15,000 sq ft outdoor science park with a fossil dig pit and engineering installations. Core offerings include interactive permanent and traveling exhibits (e.g., Dinosaurs Around the World, Ice Dinosaurs), a Space Theater with a 180-degree screen and 90 seats running planetarium shows and laser light performances, and 60+ animal species featured in exhibits. Educational programming spans Summer Camp Discovery (ages 3 through 5th grade), day camps, field trips, on-your-campus outreach, and virtual programs delivered to classrooms.

DHDC serves five distinct customer segments: K-12 school groups, families with children, corporate/private event organizers, adults 21+, and active-duty military families. The museum generates revenue through a diversified mix of earned and contributed streams: walk-in admissions, birthday party packages ($250-$380 per event), facility and event rentals ($300-$2,000 across multiple spaces including Auditorium, Celebration Station, Space Theater, Exhibit Halls, Outdoor Park, and Entire Facility), annual memberships, summer camp and program fees, and donations/grants from individuals, corporations, and foundations. Accessibility initiatives include Free First Mondays and the Blue Star Museum Initiative. Distribution is primarily walk-in/onsite within the Texas Panhandle High Plains region, supplemented by off-site on-your-campus outreach and virtual programming.

The organization operates as a private nonprofit with no venture capital or private equity backing, governed by a Board of Trustees. It employs 11-50 staff and is led by CEO Wendy Taylor. The facility can accommodate up to 1,500 guests for events, making it a regional venue asset in addition to its educational mission. Marketing is multi-channel across website, Instagram, Facebook, Yelp, email newsletter, event listings, and direct school outreach. The museum is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026, anchoring community positioning with the Discover! 5.0 festival.

Name

Don Harrington Discovery Center

Legal name

Discovery Center Collective

Website

https://discoverycenteramarillo.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Don Harrington Discovery Center is a nonprofit science and technology museum in Amarillo, Texas, founded in 1976, serving K-12 schools, families, corporate event clients, and adults in the Texas Panhandle with interactive exhibits, a 90-seat Space Theater, educational programs, and venue rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science Museum and Educational Services

NAICS

Museums (712110)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Natural History Museums (THAJADAC)

Keywords

• Science museum exhibits
• Hands-on STEM education
• Facility event rentals
• Summer camp programs
• School field trips

Headquarters

HQ city

Amarillo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Museum Admissions: Entry fees for visitors to explore exhibits during regular operating hours
2. Birthday Party Packages: Host party packages including venue rental, activities, food, and entertainment for children's birthdays at $150-$380 per event
3. Facility/Event Rentals: Rental of event spaces including Space Theater, Celebration Station, Exhibit Halls, and entire facility for corporate events, weddings, and private gatherings. Prices range from $300-$2,000 depending on space and timing
4. Memberships: Annual membership programs offering free admission, discounts on events and gift shop, and exclusive access to members
5. Educational Programs: Revenue from day camps, summer camps, field trips, on-your-campus programs, and virtual programs for children and schools
6. Donations and Grants: As a nonprofit organization, relies on contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations to support educational programs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Don Harrington Discovery Center operates a hands-on science and technology museum in Amarillo, Texas, selling admission-based access to interactive exhibits, a 180-degree Space Theater, and an outdoor science park. It also delivers paid educational programs (summer/day camps, field trips, on-campus outreach, virtual classes) and rents its spaces for birthday parties and corporate/private events, supported by memberships and donations as a 501(c)-style nonprofit.

Product overview

Don Harrington Discovery Center operates as a science and technology museum with multiple integrated offerings. The core experience centers on interactive exhibits and the Space Theater (180-degree, 90-seat planetarium/theater). Additional revenue streams include venue event rentals (up to 1,500 capacity), birthday party packages, and educational programs. Educational offerings span Summer Camps, Field Trips, On-Your-Campus school outreach, and Virtual Programs. The museum features rotating traveling exhibits like Dinosaurs Around the World alongside permanent galleries. Accessibility programs include Free First Mondays and Blue Star Museum Initiative for military families. The 50th anniversary celebration is ongoing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Don Harrington Discovery Center Science Museum Interactive science and technology museum featuring hands-on exhibits spanning science, technology, and natural-world wonders, including dinosaur exhibits, space displays, and educational galleries. Located at 1200 Streit Drive, Amarillo, Texas.
• Space Theater

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Blue Star MuseumsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 May 2026Free admission program for active-duty military families from May 16 through September 7, 2026. Supports military families in the Amarillo community with accessible educational opportunities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Pacific Science Center: Seattle-based science center with interactive exhibits, IMAX/planetarium, camps, and event rentals. Mirrors DHDC's diversified revenue model across admissions, programs, and rentals, at larger scale.
• Exploratorium: San Francisco-based interactive science museum with hands-on exhibits and educational programming. Comparable in exhibit-led STEM learning mission, though at significantly larger scale and urban footprint.
• Space Center Houston: Houston-based space-focused museum and NASA visitor center. Comparable in space-themed exhibits and educational programming, though operates at a much larger scale as a national tourism destination.
• Children's Museum of Houston: Large children's museum with interactive exhibits, school programs, and family events. Comparable operating model and programming mix to DHDC, though at significantly larger scale and in a major metro.
• Fort Worth Museum of Science and History: Texas-based science and history museum with interactive exhibits, school field trips, and educational programming. Operates at a larger scale than DHDC but competes for the same category of family and school-group STEM visitation in Texas.
• Perot Museum of Nature and Science: Larger science and nature museum in Dallas, Texas. Comparable as a Texas-based science museum with interactive exhibits, educational programming, and a Space Theater-like dome, though it serves a major metro market rather than a single regional community.

Direct peers

• Science Museum Oklahoma: Oklahoma City-based science museum with hands-on exhibits, planetarium/dome shows, summer camps, and educational programming. Closely mirrors DHDC's exhibit-plus-theater-plus-camp model in a similarly-sized regional market.
• Cosmosphere (Hutchinson, KS): Science and space museum with planetarium, space theater, and STEM education programs in a similarly-sized regional market. Direct peer in both mission (space/science education) and scale.
• Discovery Center Museum (Rockford, IL): Mid-sized regional children's science museum with interactive exhibits, school programs, and birthday party offerings. Direct peer given similar size, regional focus, and programming mix to DHDC.
• Thinkery (Austin Children's Museum): Austin-based children's museum with hands-on STEM exhibits, summer camps, and birthday party packages. Closely matches DHDC's mix of interactive exhibits, family programming, and event rentals, though serving a larger Austin metro market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DHDCamarillo
• Xx.com/dhdcamarillo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Don Harrington Discovery Center