You'll love this outdoor discovery park, aptly named "Discovery Park" in Muscatine. It's an ideal place to spend a relaxing day outdoors with the family.

Discovery Park is conveniently located on the west side of Muscatine at 3300 Cedar St., near the corner of Highway 61 and Cedar Street.

This amazing urban environment is an 85-acre park with 2 stocked fishing ponds, two picnic shelters, 1.5 miles of hard-surfaced trails, 2 miles of primitive trails, and a historical cemetery.

It's actually a reclaimed farmstead.

This park was once the site of the Muscatine County Farm. Muscatine residents used to help work the farm and they also shared the food produced by the farm. Now, this is a popular outdoor discovery park for families with geocaching, public nature programs, picnicking, nature study, walking, biking, and wildlife viewing.

Discovery Park is open every day from 6am until 10:30pm.

This is one of the two picnic shelters at Discovery Park.

It offers seating for 80-100 people and is available for rental through the park's reservation system. It has electricity, but no overhead lighting. There's a modern restroom where water is available, access to the park's trail system, green play space, and adjacent parking.

Many people come to Discovery Park to bike and walk the well-maintained hard surface trails.

There are also a couple of really nice fishing docks here, one of which is fully handicapped accessible. Discovery Park is next door to the Old Barn and the Muscatine Arboretum. It's also across the street from the city's Fuller Park, which features a 13-hole disc golf course. There's more than enough to keep a busy family happy and engaged for the day, here.

The park is home to the Environmental Learning Center, which offers learning exhibits with turtles, snakes, large river fish, and raptors.

The facility is 10,500 square feet and is home to the Muscatine County Conservation Board offices. It's also a natural history exhibit space and has a large area for meetings and classes. Two 1200-gallon aquariums offer a fun way to see native fish. The natural history exhibits have over 100 mounted animals and show wildlife in Iowa and how the habitats change. There are also live turtles and snakes on display, here. The center is open Monday through Friday between 8am and 4:30pm; Saturday and Sunday from noon until 4pm.

This 10,500 sq. foot facility located in Discovery Park in Muscatine houses the Muscatine County Conservation Board offices, natural history exhibit space, and a large classroom/meeting space. During your visit, be sure to stop by the outdoor live raptor enclosure and enjoy the landscaping with native plants.

The tree-lined trails at the 13-acre Muscatine Arboretum offer even more potential for a fun day of family activities.

Many people bike or walk the trails, here. The arboretum is a permanent collection of plants and trees including linden, maple, dwarf conifers, oak, crab apples, and more. There's a gazebo, brick labyrinth in a medieval style, and plenty of places to stop and enjoy the view. Baby strollers, dog walkers, runners, wheelchairs, and skate boarders are welcome at this amazing park.

Muscatine's Fuller Park is close by, and it's a great place to play disc golf or just enjoy nature.

The course is designed to accommodate all skill levels. It has wide open shots as well as more difficult holes. It's free to play, here. Signage, benches, restrooms, and ample parking make this a super family-friendly place to visit.

Have you visited Muscatine's Discovery Park? Where's your favorite place to spend the day with family?