Discovery Center Museum Review
Thomas & Friends Exhibit

Thomas & Friends™: Explore the Rails! Traveling Exhibit

Makes Debut at Discovery Center Museum

Rockford, IL  - The world’s most beloved #1 blue engine is rolling into Discovery Center! Thomas & Friends™: Explore the Rails! is an interactive exhibit inspired by the popular children’s series on Nickelodeon. It will steam into Discovery Center Museum on January 12, delighting children until its close on May 12. This is the first time the exhibit will be in Illinois.

Featuring the favorite engines and destinations from Thomas & Friends™, the STEM (Science Technology, Engineering and Math) -focused exhibit engages children, ages 2 through 7 years, and families in foundational STEM skills using playful learning experiences.

Visitors to the 1500 square foot exhibit will be delighted as they find themselves surrounded by the Island of Sodor’s iconic locations: Knapford Station, Sodor Steamworks and more. In the exhibit, children help Thomas and his friends solve a variety of challenges. As children confront those new challenges and test their abilities, the smiling faces of Thomas, Percy, Victor and others are there to offer encouragement and remind children how “Really Useful” they all are.

Inside the Exhibit:

* Climb into Thomas’ cab and explore the engine’s inner workings. Flip levers and investigate other moveable parts that trigger train noises such as braking, whistles and steam.

* Fix Percy’s wobbly wheel by removing and replacing parts and experimenting to find a combination of wheels, rods and bolts that work.

* Explore the favorite Island of Sodor destinations including: Tidmouth Sheds, Brendam Docks and the Sodor Search & Rescue Station on an over-sized Thomas Wooden Railway train table.

* Loading luggage, livestock and other freight into train cars.

* Get Percy moving by loading coal into his coal box and filling his tank with water from a water tower.

* Dress up as the conductor to exchange money and sell train tickets to other visitors.

The exhibit is in both English and Spanish.

Admission to Thomas & Friends™: Explore the Rails! is $11 for adults and children; $1 for Museum members. For more information about the exhibit, please visit DiscoveryCenterMuseum.org.

Local presenting sponsors are Dr. Zak’s Tooth Fairy Castle Pediatric Dentistry and Illinicare Health. Additional local sponsors include JL Clark; BMO Harris Bank; Illinois Bank and Trust; Midland States Bank; Northwest Bank; SwedishAmerican  - a division of UW Health; and Target; and also included support from Coyle Kiley Insurance Agency. Local media sponsors include WTVO/Fox 39; 97ZOK and Q98.5.

ABOUT THOMAS & FRIENDS®

Thomas the Tank Engine™ was created by a father for his son nearly 70 years ago and today is enjoyed by families in more than 185 territories and in 30 languages. The #1 blue engine and his friends invite children to enter a world of imagination through the tracks of a train and the words of a story. Children embark on adventures with their engine friends while experiencing timeless life lessons of discovery, friendship and teamwork. Follow Thomas on Facebook at facebook.com/thomasandfriends and Twitter @ThomasParent.

©2019 Gullane (Thomas) Limited. Thomas & Friends™: Explore the Rails! was created by the Minnesota Children’s Museum, presented by Fisher-Price and sponsored by 3M.

ABOUT DISCOVERY CENTER MUSEUM

Discovery Center Museum is a non-profit organization providing hands-on math, science and art experiences for all ages with over 250 hand-on exhibits, planetarium, special area for children under five, and an outdoor science park. Discovery Center Museum is the nation’s 5th Best Museum for Families according to USA TODAY/10Best.com, and one of 12 museums included in Forbes.com’s article, The 12 Best Children’s Museums in the U.S. In 2018 Discovery Center earned the Trip Advisor Hall of Fame distinction.The Museum is located inside Riverfront Museum Park, 711 North Main Street, Rockford, Ill.  General admission to the Museum is:  $8 adults, $8 children (ages 2 to 17); free to Museum members and children age 1 and younger. Hours of operation are: 10 am to 5 pm seven days a week. For additional information, call (815) 963-6769 or log onto our website at www.discoverycentermuseum.org.