In the 1970s, Dr. Gehard Stroink, working for Dalhousie University, began creating interactive science demonstrations and exhibits,[1] Richard Goldbloom and Liz Crocker began to assist Stroink, "with the idea of establishing a true science centre, where the wonders of STEAM could take permanent residence in the hearts and minds of Nova Scotians".

[3] In October 2010, the Discovery Centre announced that it would move from the Halifax Seaport, adjacent to the new headquarters of Nova Scotia Power.

[3] The museum received a $50,000 grant in July 2021 from the Government of Canada for a project titled “Why Immunize: Encouraging Vaccine Confidence in Mi'kmaw Communities.”[5] It was awarded through a grant program called “Encouraging Vaccine Confidence in Canada” jointly administered by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

[6] It received an additional $392,000 grant from the Public Health Agency of Canada's Immunization Partnership Fund to increase confidence in COVID-19 vaccines in black communities, Mi'kmaq peoples and 2S/LGBTQIA+ groups.

[7] The Lower Water Street location has five permanent galleries: Energy, Health, Flight, Ocean, and Just for Kids!.