We're walking Discovery Center of Springfield with Hunter Bartelt, the museum's Director of Operations, to see what's new — starting with the newly opened Gratty's Playhouse, a fully scaled-down pretend house in Discovery Town where kids can be the grown-up for a day: cooking on a mini stove, running the washer and dryer, and hunting for hidden surprises tucked in the walls.
Then Hunter takes us behind the scenes into the shop, where the team is building the upcoming Teddy Bear Pediatric Clinic — complete with a tiny MRI and X-ray machine that scan NFC-tagged teddy bear patients so kids can play pediatrician.
And finally, a first look at Discovery Center's biggest project yet: a full-scale animatronic bug invasion taking over a miniature Springfield, featuring a 14-foot praying mantis and a grasshopper that jumps 9 feet in the air. It's expected to open by the end of September.
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