The third largest in the Seven Emirates of the UAE, Sharjah, lives up to its title as one of the greatest cultural hotspots in the Middle East. In addition to offering travellers great insight into the rich heritage, it also provides great venues for travellers to experience some family fun and entertainment at attractions like the Sharjah Discovery Centre. Specially designed for children between the ages of 3 and 12, it offers various activities leaning toward science and technology that promote learning. The park first welcomed visitors way back in March 1999.Â
Taking a step away from conventional methods of learning, the centre urges children to participate and communicate during the activities conducted by the centre to ensure the highest levels of understanding. The park’s objective has always been to offer budding scientists an opportunity to expand their knowledge in a fun and interactive manner.
It is a safe, well-connected, child-centric location providing kids with varied experiences. Among other attractions at Sharjah Discovery Centre are mock set-ups of oil refineries and construction sites. The Discovery Centre also offer life-size tools and equipment that professionals regularly use to ensure that visiting children enjoy the most authentic experience.Â
This blog breaks down some of the most attractive features of this infotainment hub for children in the Middle East. Discussed below are the seven kinds of themes that the park has to offer its visitors:
Theme – Play Zones at Sharjah Discovery Centre
The discovery centre has been divided into seven different parts with varying themes, ranging from something as simple as grocery stores to the extravagant experience of air travel. The park’s decision to house so many themes is to ensure that visitors enjoy a holistic experience that provides insight into a broad spectrum of vocations.Â
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The Drive Town
In addition to the lessons that visitors take away from the Sharjah Discovery Centre, the park also yearns to teach children about the importance of safety in everyday life situations. To achieve this goal, the discovery centre introduced The Drive Town, where children can learn about the essence of road safety and driving.
The Drive Town consists of a series of twisting and turning tracks modelled after the beautiful city of Sharjah. Visitors can enjoy the experience of driving around the mock city in electric cars to learn about traffic rules and safety measures. The attraction works to raise awareness among visiting children as it offers them a great deal of insight into what the traffic lights signify and more.
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Sharjah Kid’s International Airport
Designed by those with a keen eye for detail to precisely resemble a functioning airport, the Sharjah Kid’s International Airport aims to offer children some insight into the varying aspects of air travel and everything that goes on in between. To best replicate the experience of travelling by air, the attraction takes children on an imaginary journey across the world that starts at the security and baggage check, with a functioning X-Ray belt.
The Sharjah Kid’s International Airport also takes visitors on an extremely enjoyable ride through the clouds, during which they are acquainted with some of the most iconic sights in the world, including the Statue of Liberty in New York, the Cairo Tower in Egypt, Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Big Ben in London. The attraction also allows children a peek into the operations that take place at an airport behind the scenes.
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Build Town
The Discovery Centre has something very unique for those inclined towards architecture and construction. The attraction allows visitors to explore the inner workings of a construction site, where they can freely build structures with the help of building blocks. To make the experience more realistic, the attraction includes a number of cranes and pulleys. The Build Town play zone at Sharjah Discovery Centre aids children to get their creative juices flowing and use their imagination to make some structures and explore their interests.
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Sports World
For the athletically gifted and those hoping to engage themselves in extra-curricular activities, the Discovery Centre presents Sports world. Activities that include running and jumping around constitute most, if not all, the things children love to participate in. The play zone has a safe outlet for children to do what they deem fit under the watchful eye of expert supervisors to look over them.
Sports world also allows children to dip their toes into adventure sports with their well-equipped climbing walls that allow children to try rock climbing. Furthermore, the play zone houses fully equipped basketball courts and football pitches to keep children entertained for a significant amount of time. With this play zone, the park hopes to bolster the value of teamwork and cooperation by including team sports on the premises.
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Water World
Oceans and seas are topics that are often shrouded in mystery and intrigue; however, the Sharjah Discovery Centre lifts the veil off this ambiguous subject as children find these massive bodies of water extremely fascinating. It also provides a treasure trove of knowledge when it comes to marine life. Offering an interactive experience, the Water world play zone allows children to let their imaginations run wild and design their own water fountains.
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Sound World
The Discovery Centre also has something for those with an affinity for science. The Soundworld play zone is an entire exhibit geared towards teaching children the basic concepts of sound and how it is produced. The well-crafted displays at Sound world help teach children how sound travels across different mediums like air and water in addition to how it is produced.
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Body World
The human body is perhaps the most fascinating object in the world, especially to children. The Bodyworld play zone at the Discovery Centre works to quell all their doubts and questions about the same with its detailed exhibits. The lifelike models of the human anatomy and the skeleton help children gain great insight.
Similar Attractions to Enjoy at the Sharjah Discovery Centre
In addition to some of the most advanced exhibits teaching curious children about the basics of physics, biology and more, the Sharjah Discovery Centre prioritises technological advancements over theoretical practice:Â
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Petroleum Refinery
Petroleum and fuel are some of the most invaluable natural resources on Earth. The petroleum refinery exhibit aims to teach children about the process that goes into extracting the resource from the ground. The play zone houses a variety of tools and equipment that children can use to practice extracting the resource.
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TV Studio
The District Centre also offers children the opportunity to work in their own TV studios and even create their personal news segments, including broadcasts, weather reports and more on live TV right outside the TV Studio. Furthermore, they have the liberty to shoot videos and short films with the cameras that are available on site.
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The Storyteller Area
Yet another exhibit for those who prefer creative arts over hardcore science, The Storyteller Area keeps children engaged for hours with it’s compelling tales. From valiant superheroes and cunning villains to terrifying monsters and mystical dragons, this play zone has something to pique every child’s interest and imagination.
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The Supermarket
A child’s diet is something that could stunt or bolster their development. At the supermarket play zone, children are acquainted with the merits of a healthy and balanced diet. To make the experience as interactive as possible, the exhibit urges children to pick their own diets to create their personal health plans. The aim of this play zone is to promote a healthy lifestyle among children and teach them a lesson about accountability when it comes to healthy eating habits.
Sharjah Discovery Centre: Location, Ticket Price, Timings and more
The Sharjah Discovery Centre is located at the Sharjah Airport Road, Interchange 4 and 5, Opposite Sharjah Classic Cars Museum.Â
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Sharjah Discovery Centre – Ticket Price
Patrons are expected to pay AED 5 for children between the ages of 2-12 years old and those over the age of 13 must shell out AED 10 to gain access into the centre. Visiting timings for the park on the days between Sundays and Thursdays are 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.Â
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Sharjah Discovery Centre – Location and Contact
The park is only open from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Fridays. However, it is closed on Saturdays. Since the timings are subject to change, visitors are advised to contact the centre beforehand at +971 6 558 6577.Â
In Conclusion
In addition to being a ton of fun, the Sharjah Discovery Centre aims to provide an informative experience to growing children. The exhibits hope to help every child who visits the park to leave with a whole new appreciation and a deeper understanding of the ways of the world. Those travelling to Sharjah with their families should most definitely make it a point to visit this park once, for it is an experience that their children would hate to miss.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How to get to Sharjah Discovery Centre?
The Sharjah Discovery Centre is extremely convenient to locate. It is quite close to the airport and is a 30-minute drive from Dubai if visitors take the E11 and E88 routes.
What is the Sharjah Discovery Centre address?
Visitors making their way to the Sharjah Discovery Centre need to chart a course to Sharjah Airport Road, Interchange 4 and 5, Opposite Sharjah Classic Cars Museum.
What are the Sharjah Discovery Centre tickets prices?
Sharjah Discovery Centre ticket price varies on the basis of the age of the visitor. Children (Under the age of 2 years) : Free | Children (Between the ages of 2-12 years) : AED 5 | Adults (Above the age of 13 years) : AED 10 | Senior Citizens (Above the age of 60 years) : Free | Specially-abled individuals : Free
What are the Sharjah Discovery Centre timings?
The Sharjah Discovery Centre timings are as follows. However, they are subject to change, especially on national holidays. Therefore, make a note to contact the park employees before visiting. Sunday- Thursday : 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM | Friday : 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Saturday : Closed
What is the Sharjah Discovery Centre's contact number?
Potential visitors can contact the Sharjah Discovery Centre for park-related enquiries at +971 6 558 6577.