Funded in part by the Open Space Authority, the Children’s Discovery Museum’s “Exploration Portal” (EP) is a 4,000 square foot nature-themed educational space at the southwestern corner of the Museum’s site designed to engage children ages 2-10 and the adults who accompany them in hands-on environmental education. 

With the location’s adjacency to the Guadalupe River, EP encompasses three intertwined strategies for maximum environmental and educational impacts: 1) an architectural design that improves the health of the Guadalupe River; 2) eight interactive exhibits that inspire curiosity and help children make discoveries about the natural world along with interpretive signage in English, Spanish and Vietnamese; and 3) a landscaping plan that role models the use of native and/or drought tolerant plants, cultivates biodiversity in the site's riparian environment, and immerses children and adults into the cognitive and physical benefits of a verdant environment. EP opened to the public in June 2024.