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Discovery Zone

1989–1998 logo
Company type	Public (1993-1997) Private (1997-2001)
Traded as	Nasdaq: DZ
Industry	Fast food and entertainment
Founded	October 1989; 35 years ago (1989-10) in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Founder	Ronald Matsch Jim Jorgensen Dr. David Schoenstadt
Defunct	1999; 26 years ago (1999) (general operations) December 2001 (2001-12) (dissolution)
Fate	Bankruptcy and liquidation
Successor	Chuck E. Cheese
Headquarters	Wilmington, Delaware , U.S.
Number of locations	203 (May 1998)
Area served	United States Canada Puerto Rico
Products	Family entertainment centers
Owner	Independent (1989–1995) Blockbuster Video (1995–1997) Wellspring Associates LLC (1997–2001)

Discovery Zone (DZ) was an American chain of entertainment facilities featuring games and elaborate indoor mazes designed for young children, including roller slides, climbing play structures, and ball pits. It also featured arcade games. A talking robot character named Z-Bop served as mascot to the chain. Ronald Matsch, Jim Jorgensen and Dr. David Schoenstadt founded Discovery Zone in 1989, with the first location opening in Kansas City, Missouri, in October 1989. An early investor in and vocal supporter of the company was tennis player Billie Jean King.^[1]

Discovery Zone became the first corporate sponsor of the PBS children's program Sesame Street in 1998, ending a 29-year long streak without on-air support from them.^[2]