UNION CITY, TN- Fog horns roared, confetti flew through the air, the music of Celebrate blasted over the loud speakers, and the docents danced as Discovery Park of America heralded its one-millionth visitor at 11:12 a.m. today, Saturday, December 16th.
15-month-old Woods Rogers was the one millionth guest of Discovery Park of America, as CEO Jim Rippy stood by, with clicker in hand, to determine when the one-millionth visitor walked through the door. Rippy said that he has been counting people and adding numbers everyday as the park edged closer to this amazing milestone. Woods is the son of Bo and Ivy Rogers from Dyersburg. He was visiting today with his mother and his grandparents, Darlene and Chad Fultz of Obion,.
“For a small town with a population of just over 10,000, located in rural Northwest, Tennessee and not near any major metropolitan area, to have an attraction that has garnered a million guests in just over four years is remarkable,” Union City Mayor Terry Hailey said. “We are excited to congratulate Discovery Park on this monumental occasion!”
The mayor was not the only one excited. The Rogers family was in for a bigger treat than just the celebration.
“We wanted to make this extra special,” Rippy said. “So we presented this lucky family with a prize package valued at almost $4,000” Included in the special prize were three lifetime memberships to Discovery Park of America, two night’s lodging at Reelfoot Lake’s popular Bluebank Resort, dinner for two from Sassafraz Restaurant in Union City, $200 in cash to spend while staying at Reelfoot, a bottle of wine from White Squirrel Winery in Kenton, a box of fudge from the Cafe at Discovery Park and tee-shirts from the Discovery Park Gift Shop. Additionally, there was a giant cake available for the park’s guests to enjoy after the event. A lifetime membership to the park costs $1,000 for an individual.
Discovery Park of America opened its doors on November 1st of 2013. Averaging close to 250,000 visitors a year, the park is a combination of history and science, in an interactive,hands on learning environment. Consistently scoring 5 stars on Trip Advisor, the park has seen visitors from every state, while occasionally enjoying international visitors, as well.
Jenny and Robert Kirkland founded Discovery Park of America in their hometown of Union City after considering alternative locations. According to Rippy, at the end of the day, the Kirkland’s wanted to give back to their hometown. Mr. Kirkland was known to have said that he wanted children and adults around here to get to experience things that they might not otherwise get to experience. Discovery Park’s mission is education and its goal is to help people see beyond their current level of knowledge.
Discovery Park of America is located at 830 Everett Blvd. in Union City, TN. You can see the complete 2018 Calendar of Events, including upcoming educational and entertaining events, by visiting the website at www.discoveryparkofamerica.com . The park is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and is a unique blend of history, science, architecture, art and fun.
Photo: Little Woods Rogers with his mother, Ivy, alongside Discovery Park CEO Jim Rippy. (DPA photo).
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