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Discovery Center
Visit The Discovery Center
Increasing public knowledge is key to creating a world where elephants no longer live under constant threat of poaching, habitat loss, conflict, or capture. The Elephant Discovery Center offers hands-on self-guided exhibits and educational programming that explores the many ways elephants shape our world.
Upcoming Events
Hours of Operation
Tuesday - Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Closed Sunday and Monday
Closed for Holidays:
Thursday, July 4
Thursday, November 28 - Sunday, December 1
Tuesday, December 24 - Wednesday, December 25
Wednesday, January 1
The elephants' habitats are closed to the public. Visitors to The Discovery Center will not see or interact with elephants.
Parking and AccessibilityPlan Your Visit
The Elephant Discovery Center is open to walk-in visitors, groups, and fieldtrips.
For Families
The Elephant Discovery Center welcomes families to visit, explore, and learn about the mission and work of The Elephant Sanctuary. Admission is always free though donations are welcome. Our Education Staff is on hand during open hours to answer questions and guide your family through the exhibit space. Maps of the space are also available for a more self-guided experience. If you are looking for additional activities to engage your family beyond our exhibits, you're invited to attend one of our special events.
Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Schedule a Family Visit
For Teachers
We want to share our elephant knowledge with your students! Plan a visit with your class to The Elephant Discovery Center and learn about the role elephants play as a keystone species and how The Sanctuary's Staff care for our resident elephants. Programs can be customized to fit your needs. We require one adult chaperone per eight students. Field trips must be booked at least four weeks in advance.
We welcome public and private schools, home school families, and non-traditional schools to participate in our field trip program.
Schedule a Field Trip
For Groups
Groups are defined as ten or more people. Reservations for groups must be made at least four weeks in advance to guarantee staff or docent-led programming, including formal presentations, guided exhibit tours, hands-on activities, etc. We require one adult chaperone per eight children in a group. Group reservations are not available on Saturdays as that is our busiest time for drop-in visitors and special events.
Drop-in visitors are always welcome for self-guided exploration of The Elephant Discovery Center during open hours.
Distance Learning
Learn with us wherever you are.
Learn with us wherever you are!
The Elephant Discovery Center engages with learners from all across the world through a variety of online distance learning programs to connect audiences with The Elephant Sanctuary’s resident elephants and their wild relatives. Programs include a broad range of topics and content levels allowing students, educators, and other community groups to learn about the complexities of both wild and captive elephants and hear the incredible stories of The Sanctuary elephants — all without having to leave your school, work or hometown.
Whether you are a teacher looking to enhance your students learning by virtually connecting with experts in the field, a lifelong learner hoping to enhance your elephant knowledge and advocacy efforts, or a community group seeking an engaging opportunity to reach beyond your town or city, The Elephant Discovery Center is your singular destination for captivating elephant resources and content.
Schedule Distance Learning
Visitation Information
Location
27 East Main Street
Hohenwald, TN 38462
Hours
Tuesday - Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Closed Sunday and Monday
Closed for Holidays:
Thursday, July 4
Thursday, November 28 - Sunday, December 1
Tuesday, December 24 - Wednesday, December 25
Wednesday, January 1
Contact
Visitor Information
The elephants' habitats are closed to the public. Visitors to The Discovery Center will not see or interact with elephants.
Our staff is excited to give you and your family a guided tour of our exhibit space and to answer all of your questions about elephants and The Sanctuary. Please call 931-796-6500 x109 or email Laura Roddy at laura@elephants.com with any questions.
While The Elephant Discovery Center is open to drop-in visitors Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. CDT, we ask parties of eight or more to call in advance so that we can ensure we have staff available to assist them. If groups are looking for formal guided programming by our Education Team, a reservation is required.
We look forward to seeing you at The Elephant Discovery Center!
Parking
Free parking is available on Main Street, directly in front of The Elephant Discovery Center. There is also a free city lot located on the corner of N. Maple St. and E. Linden Ave, directly behind The Elephant Discovery Center.
Accessibility
At The Elephant Discovery Center, we want The Sanctuary story to be accessible to all regardless of physical, financial, or cultural barriers. To this end, The Elephant Discovery Center is wheelchair friendly, including the restrooms and exhibit areas. Captions are provided on video displays for hearing impaired guests and seating areas are provided throughout.
The Discovery Center is KultureCity® Certified. The Elephant Sanctuary has partnered with KultureCity to enhance our ability to assist and accommodate all — by supplying our staff with annual training and offering additional support and resources to those who may face sensory processing needs. KultureCity Sensory Bags are available to all visitors in need, signs have been placed around the museum which indicate where loud or unexpected noises may occur, and a designated “quiet zone” is offered for those who may benefit from it.
We are constantly looking for ways to improve our guests’ experience. For questions, concerns, and suggestions about improving accessibility, please contact our Education Manager, Laura Roddy, at laura@elephants.com.