Children? Head to Biloxi and Check out @LMDiscoveryCtr

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We have been going to Biloxi for longer than Broxton has been born.  It used to be just an adventure with my parents and I, but now we have added Broxton into the journey with us.  He loves going and always seems to look forward to our next trip there... and of course he tries to make us plan for more days than we can actually do.  The bad thing about our last couple trips? The weather!!!  

The last few times we went, the plan was to be at the pool all day - since that is what he loves... but of course, storms coming in means the pool is closed...  and how fun is it to sit in a hotel room all day?  

This time, I thought it would be fun to try and see if there was anything exciting around for kids...   We know the casino's are great for us adults, but what about the under 21 crowd?  

Luckily for us, I learned that there is a Children's Discovery Museum right down the road in Gulfport!!!

The Lynn Meadows Discovery Center is about 15 minutes from The Beau, so we planned to go and in reaching out to them, was able to work it out so that we could go and share it with you!!

I hate to say it, but I have no clue what this is, besides the building that greets you when you pull into the parking lot.  I was too busy noticing the fun colored dots in the lot and then we followed the corner to the entrance to the Children's Museum.  It is actually in an old Elementary school (that was built in 1915!)  

As you enter, you can tell it isn't all hustle and bustle like things in Atlanta...  This is their entrance... You come up and pay and then play till you can't play anymore. They do have a few things for sale, such as shirts and what not... but Broxton spotted the train and was ready to go exploring!!!

 The first area to the left as soon as you walk in is a train.  In there, the kids have total imaginative control.  Do they want to be in the ticket office?  (Broxton jumped in and yelled TICKETS PLEASE!)  Then, he spotted that they had a shovel and fake coal... He had to get that train going, so off to shoveling coal it was!   The great thing about this children's museum is that they can see and do it all!
In the train area alone, he could sell tickets, be the engineer, be the conductor, shovel coal and even be a passenger.  Oh... did I mention they even have hats/ costume accessories to make it that much more fun????

 Not only are things indoors (you go up a ramp, so no worries for those of you that are not fans of steps)  they also had a door leading to a little "courtyard" if you want to call it that.. In that area, they had a kitchen set up ---  dishes, a play kitchen, an order counter, a cash register...  You could work in the restaurant or you could be the customer, as I said - very open play as to what you could do.
Broxton started off as a customer playing with the other kids out there, but then he became a restaurant employee later on.

 After the kitchen, we ventured back inside where he then had to check out more area's.  There was a spot to be a news reporter (I had to get a picture of him "on screen")  but then they also had where you could pretend to be kayaking.  You could also work in a grocery store- that was pretty cool... You could work the meat department, the bakery, a shelf stocker, a cashier or even a grocery shopper.  

 The favorite area for the day was the Veterinarians office.   I am not sure how long we were there, but some how or another, we always came back to this area.  They had play computers, phones, tables, sinks to bathe the pets, stuffed dogs, cats, lizards, rabbits, they even had "x-ray" sheets and a machine to see the x-rays.
This area was always popular and it was fun watching all the kids play together...
I even got to pretend I was the President coming to pick up my dog once -- and another time I was a lady from England!   The kids had a blast and we were all laughing so hard having fun!

 Of course there is lots and lots to do inside, they had several area's of play...
They had a plane, a Victorian era bedroom, a hotel, a safari mobile and so much more...
They had an area that had 2 kids wheelchairs and a basketball goal, so you could see what it was like to be a child with a disability, they had pvc pipes and the ends of flip flops for you to play music on, they had an awesome wall that you moved these pegs on to make art on... Oh and did I mention they even have an ART ROOM for you to go and make a creation?  The day we were there, they were doing something with fish... Broxton was too busy doing other things, so we never got around to it, but it is there!
We finally ventured out again and this time we had to go check out the tree houses out side!  Broxton thought they were pretty cool too, but after a bit (it was HOT) he was ready to go back in... to the Veterinarian area!  

The cool thing was that they don't make you walk up stairs, you simply stroll along this ramp to get to the second floor -- but in the middle of all of that, there is this abstract art piece that the kids can climb up or down to get from one floor to the next.  

We had a really great time and Broxton has already added this to our plans for each year we go to Biloxi.
Even if it means losing a pool day and that is saying a lot!!!

I will admit though, it is not on the main strip, so if you are just riding along, you will not notice it. The day we went, there were detour signs and we had to follow them... It is back off the main road a bit right in the middle of a neighborhood!  Remember, it used to be a school....   

They say there is a "kids street" there too, but we must have missed it, since we did not see it anywhere... I am sure Broxton would have loved it!  

Are you a fan of pretend play like this???