About Mountaintop Retreat & Discovery Center
Journey Into The Vision of Mountaintop Retreat and Discovery Center
Immersive Educational Programs
Open to Public on Weekends
At MDRC, we serve as a place where individuals can immerse themselves in the awe inspiring beauty of God’s creation. Through our Discovery Center and Nature Camp, we offer transformative educational and spiritual experiences for youth, fostering growth in the knowledge of nature and deepening your relationship with God.
Offering an Oasis of Discovery
A Fusion of Learning and Spirituality
Reviving Connections
A Convergence of Nature, History, and Spirituality
Designed to host up to 400 individuals, our future facility offers an enriching experience for the youth and adults of California. Beyond the camp’s natural splendor, the Discovery Center will showcase an array of artifacts and specimens, encapsulating science, history, and the essence of human innovation, all pointing to the magnificence of God’s creation and human ingenuity.
An immersive exhibit that displays taxidermy animals in realistic habitats grouped by biome and continent. Special displays for skulls and skeletons, insects, and the microhabitat of an urban backyard will aid in education to show the vastness and adaptability of God’s creation.
An immersive experience that will take guests into the underwater habitats of saltwater, freshwater, and riparian environments using taxidermy and replica fish and other aquatic animals. Tanks with both tropical and temperate saltwater and freshwater fish will educate visitors about the need to keep our waterways clean.
An exhibition of animal and plant fossils which helps us understand the geologic and fossil remains of the Great Flood.
Tour a replica of a Sierra Nevada limestone cavern with displays of rocks and minerals from around the world.
Explore the way things were done in the past with antique tools, office machines, and more. A 1920s era office and a turn-of the-century general store will be replicated with original pieces.
Look at the importance of play as a part of childhood development chronicling some of the most famous toys in history, including dolls and trains. A special exhibit of Christmas through the decades will show some of the more popular Christmas gifts for each decade of the 20 th century.
Exhibits of major advances in transportation including fully restored and functional antique and vintage cars as well as memorabilia and equipment from the railroads that changed America. Dressed mannequins will show the fashion of the day by each of the displays.
Honoring John W. Lay, an American soldier in the WW2 Pacific Theater who was held as a POW in Japan for 3 ½ years. Exhibits will display uniforms, equipment, and personal effects from major players in the wars from the American Civil War to Operation Iraqi Freedom and the War on Terror. A special immersive diorama will show what trenches looked like in WW1.
A display of antique timepieces over a period of 400 years and the innovations and craftsmanship that went into making accurate clocks and watches.
Explore the rich history of California, the golden state, including the Gold Rush of 1849, mining, logging, and other major events. A replica gold mine will be an immersive way to experience what it was like to be a 49er.
Trace human history back to the Tower of Babel and examines the similarities and unique aspects of some of the major cultures throughout history using authentic ancient and antique artifacts from around the world.
A greenhouse exhibit of live plants and animals, including butterflies, that call the tropics home. Education on the necessity of pollinators will be an important feature. Sample container gardens will help visitors plan a pollinator garden for their own home.
The Discovery Center will have many volumes related to the collections on display and more. Dive deep into various subjects to grow in knowledge of the world around us and in faith in God. The library will also house the collection of taxidermy shoulder mounts grouped by Biblical kind.
Materials available for sale from Mountaintop’s ministry partners on many subjects related to the displays for further study at home and in class. A chance to dive deeper into the things you learned.
The classroom will be focused on providing hands-on experience with the Discovery Center’s collections that you won’t find in any other museum setting.