Da Vinci Science Center facts for kids
Da Vinci Science Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania in June 2014
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| Established | 1992 |
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| Location | 3145 Hamilton Blvd., Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Type | Science, Technology, Careers, Children |
| Accreditation | ASTC, NSF |
| Visitors | 142,000 participants annually |
| Public transit access |  LANta bus: 102, 322 |
The Da Vinci Science Center (DSC) is a fun science museum and nonprofit group in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It opened in 1992. The center's main goal is "bringing science to life and lives to science." Its slogan is "Open for ExSCIting Possibilities."
The center helps people of all ages connect with science. It has many hands-on activities. You can explore a two-story exhibit area. They also offer programs for students, teachers, and community groups. A big focus is helping kids learn about STEM subjects. These are science, technology, engineering, and math.
The Da Vinci Science Center is in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley. It is about 48 miles (77 km) north of Philadelphia. It is also about 78 miles (126 km) west of New York City.
Contents
History of the Science Center
The Da Vinci Science Center first opened in 1992. It started as the Science Model Area Resource Team (SMART) Center. This was at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Its first job was to host special JASON Project broadcasts. These shows featured Robert Ballard, a famous ocean explorer. He discovered the wreckage of the RMS Titanic.
The SMART Center hosted the JASON Project until 1998. But it also started creating more hands-on science activities. These were for students in kindergarten through 8th grade. Teachers also got support. Soon, the SMART Center grew into the Discovery Center of Science and Technology. It began offering public science experiences.
In 1999, the Discovery Center became its own group. It was a small, local organization. It mostly served school field trips. In 2003, it joined with another group called Leonardo da Vinci's Horse, Inc. This merger made the center stronger. It also gave it a new name and a new focus. The center began to connect science and technology with art and other subjects.
The center closed its old building in June 2005. It then moved to a new, special building. This new home is on land leased from Cedar Crest College in Allentown. The new space was bigger and more modern. It allowed the center to welcome more visitors. It also helped them create programs for all age groups.
As the Da Vinci Science Center, it started focusing on science and tech careers. In 2012, over 93,000 people visited. The center also started programs to help people learn about jobs in science. These programs combine exhibits with community events. They show what jobs are available in different industries.
Exciting Exhibits
The Science Center has many cool exhibits. Here are some of them:
Engineers on a Roll
This area is like an engineering lab and a play space. Kids can have active fun while learning about math and engineering. Colorful balls roll on long tracks that dip and curve. Kids can guess, direct, sort, and experiment. The balls keep moving, making it exciting!
PPL Electric Utilities Energy Zone
Get ready to learn about electricity in the PPL Energy Zone! You can dance, spin, and get hands-on. Learn about circuits, voltage, and how power is made. Try the Energy Dance Floor, Jacob's Ladder, and Hand Crank Generators.
Tunnel Experience
This is one of the most popular exhibits. Visitors crawl through a 72-foot-long tunnel. It is completely dark inside! You learn to use your other senses, not just your eyes. It's a real challenge!
Physics Playground
In this area, you get to touch and try things. Learn about forces, motion, and simple machines. Try a giant lever. Feel how a pulley makes things easier. Use hydraulics to lift 1000 pounds! Roll on a Newton Chair. Discover how planes fly.
Animation Station
Here, you learn how cartoons and movies are made. You see how many still pictures are put together to make a video. You can even make your own stop-motion film! Move objects around, and the computer takes photos. Then it puts them together for you.
Built Like a Mack Truck
This exhibit is like a video game. You design virtual "green" trucks. These trucks are fuel-efficient and don't waste much. You choose things like tires, engine power, and fuel. Your choices affect how your truck performs on a virtual obstacle course.
Deer Park Water Table
This exhibit is perfect for younger kids. It's a water table that sits low to the ground. It has parts you can move to change how the water flows. Kids learn about water use, saving water, and why drinking water is important.
Hurricane Simulator
Step inside this attraction! You'll feel what it's like to be in a Category 1 hurricane. The wind rushes past you at speeds up to 78 miles per hour. It's a wild experience!
Invent-a-Car
Young children can design their own car here. You use plastic parts to build it. Add hoses to the engine and details to the tires. Once it looks just right, you can even sit inside your creation!
KEVA Build It Up
In this area, you build structures using KEVA planks. These planks look like long Jenga blocks. You can test your design skills and your problem-solving skills. The center sees this as a way to show how art, math, and design work together.
Da Vinci Pond
The Da Vinci Pond is a large 560-gallon tank. It has LED lights and lets you see local water animals. You might see a painted turtle and different kinds of fish. You can learn about how these animals behave. You also learn why they are important to the local water system.
Nano Exhibits
Nanotechnology is about studying tiny objects. These objects are only a few atoms wide! At the Nano Exhibits, you learn the basics of this field. You also see how it's used in our world today. You can even build big models of carbon nanotubes. There's also a feature called "Balance Our Nano Future."
Newton Chairs
Here, you experience Newton's Second Law of Motion. This law says that force equals mass times acceleration (F=ma). The Newton Chairs are just chairs that roll back when you push each other. If two people push with the same force, the lighter person will move back faster. This is because the same force acts on a smaller mass.
Other Locations and Plans
Da Vinci Science City
In 2016, the Da Vinci Science Center and the city of Easton, Pennsylvania thought about building a new big center. It would have been a $130 million space on the city's waterfront. This "Da Vinci Science City" would have had traveling exhibits. It also planned to have an aquarium restaurant, a big movie theater, and an event center. However, in 2019, the CEO announced that the center would not build in Easton.
PPL Pavilion
The Da Vinci Science Center started building a new location in downtown Allentown, PA, on April 22, 2022. This new center, called the PPL Pavilion, is planned to open in 2024.
How the Center is Run
Board of Trustees
The Da Vinci Science Center is guided by a group called the board of trustees. Their job is to make sure the center follows its mission. They also ensure it has enough money to operate. The board also chooses the chief executive officer. There are 30 members on the board, and they meet four times a year. They also have smaller committees that meet more often.
Management
The current chief executive officer of the Da Vinci Science Center is Lin Erickson. She has held this job twice! She was CEO from 1997 to 2005. Then she returned in 2013. As CEO, she leads the center's daily operations and future plans.
