Discovery Park Officially Opens In Gaithersburg

GAITHERSBURG, MD — Gaithersburg city officials held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday to celebrate the opening of Discovery Park.

The brand new park — located at 601 Orchard Ridge Drive — spans nearly 15 acres and features five covered picnic pavilions and walking paths, two playgrounds, a Gaga Pit, and a butterfly garden.

The project cost just over $1.4 million and was funded through the city's Capital Improvement Plan. In 2013, biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, which has a facility around the corner from Discovery Park, dedicated more than 6.5 acres of parkland to the city.

"Discovery Park would not have been possible without the generous dedication of land by AstraZeneca," said Mayor Jud Ashman. "The city's largest employer donated six acres of its campus with the desire that the land be transformed into a park for the enjoyment of local residents, AstraZeneca's employees, and the children at the adjacent Discovery Meadows Childcare Center."

The park is open from dawn until dusk, with on-street parking only.