10 Reasons to Visit Discovery Point & RRS Discovery, Dundee
Ideal age: 5+
Location: Riverside Drive, Dundee (By Dundee railway station)
When: 9am-5pm, 7 days
Top tip: Convert your tickets to an annual pass!
Parent Review:
What luck to find a central railway station/carpark and numerous attractions (2 old ships, Dundee Science Centre, The Mcmanus, V&A, Dundee Museum of Transport & more) all within easy walking distance. Discovery Point sits a stone’s throw from V&A Dundee, which, for us, meant a blissfully straightforward day of non-stop entertainment.
My 5-year-old was a little too young to appreciate everything that Discovery Point had to offer. But she still had an epic time.
Here’s why…
Little people love nothing more than a hunt with a prize. My daughter adored exploring the decks whilst hunting for the all-important mouse.
The rooms of the ship’s various officers (including Ernest Shackleton and Robert Scott) were beautifully preserved and felt authentic. The same was true of other areas on the ship. This meant great fuel for a child’s imagination.
We were both taken with the ‘Antarctic experience.’ The real emperor penguin and speckled penguin egg were particular favourites. But even the fake ice slabs inspired awe!
The Antarctic wildlife rubbing stations were both accessible and absorbing. It was great to be able to take away some memories.
We enjoyed opening up the crates on the ship to find out what food was taken on an expedition. Equally, there was a hands-on opportunity for children to think about the food they’d take on a voyage.
The exhibition showing how the RRS Discovery was made was highly visual and interactive. Even a 5-year-old could feel immersed in the ship building process thanks to the 3-D displays and sound effects. My daughter also enjoyed putting a detailed wooden model of the ship together whilst finding out what features made it unique
Little people all seemed to love the hands-on opportunity to load a moving boat using a little crane.
The exhibition showing what the arctic explorers wore (e.g. Captain Scott’s wooden snow goggles) was intriguing. It’s incredible to be able to see these artefacts today. My daughter certainly remembered them later.
There were large, atmospheric models of Antarctica and an excellent film, which brought the place alive. My 5-year-old had no trouble sitting through it.
We are so fortunate to be able to experience RRS Discovery today. So do make the most of it! Ticket sales ensure it can be preserved for future generations.
N.B.: You might also like to walk down the river to HMS Unicorn. Like RRS Discovery, it can also be explored in person.
For more info.: www.dundeeheritagetrust.co.uk/attraction/discovery-point/
