McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center facts for kids
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McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center
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| Established | 1990 |
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| Location | Concord, New Hampshire |
| Type | Science museum |
| Collection size | Planetarium, replica Mercury-Redstone Launch Vehicle |
| Visitors | 50,000 annually |
| Public transit access | Concord Area Transport |
The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center is a cool science museum in Concord, New Hampshire. It's a place where you can learn all about space, planets, and flying! The museum is named after two amazing space heroes from New Hampshire.
One is Christa McAuliffe, a teacher from Concord who was chosen by NASA to be the first teacher in space. The other is Alan Shepard, who was the first American in space and one of only twelve people to ever walk on the Moon.
The Discovery Center wants to inspire kids like you to explore space. They do this with fun activities and exhibits about astronomy (studying stars and planets), aviation (flying), and space science.
The museum is quite big, with about 20,000 square feet of hands-on exhibits. Outside, you can see a full-sized copy of a Mercury-Redstone rocket! Inside, there's a digital planetarium where you can watch amazing shows about the universe. There's also an observatory for looking at the night sky, a science store, and a café. They also offer many educational programs for students and families.
Exploring the History of the Discovery Center
The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center started as a special place to remember Christa McAuliffe. It opened in June 1990 as the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium. It was the official memorial for her in New Hampshire.
Later, in 2001, it also became the official state memorial for Alan Shepard after he passed away. This museum is one of only two public planetariums in northern New England.
In 2009, the center grew much bigger! It added a whole science museum focused on space, flying, and Earth science. That's when it changed its name to the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center. The grand opening was on March 6, 2009.
For many years, the Discovery Center was run by the State of New Hampshire. But on January 1, 2013, it became a private, non-profit organization. This means it's now run by a special group that focuses on its mission. The state still owns the building, but the new group manages everything inside.
Discovering Amazing Exhibits
The Discovery Center has many exciting exhibits for you to explore!
- Cool Aircraft: You can see a 1956 XF8U-2 jet, which is on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum.
- Space Capsules and Rockets: There are life-sized models of the Mercury capsule (the small spaceship) and the Mercury-Redstone rocket outside.
- Planets and Moon: Learn all about different planets and how humans explored the Moon.
- Space Shuttle Fun: Explore exhibits about the Space Shuttle, including a simulator where you can pretend to fly!
- Aviation: Discover how airplanes work and the history of flight.
- Weather Wonders: Learn about different types of weather and how it affects our planet.
- Science Fiction: See cool toys and items from famous science fiction movies and TV shows. This includes a suit worn by Grace Lee Whitney in the 1979 film Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and chairs from Geordi La Forge's room in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
- New Discoveries: The Discovery Center also brings in three new traveling exhibits each year. These exhibits focus on different topics in science and engineering.
The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center also helps teachers learn more about space science. It is a special center for NASA's educational resources in New Hampshire.
Fun Programs and Events
The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center offers many exciting programs and events throughout the year:
- Astronomy Bowl: This is a statewide competition for high school students who love astronomy.
- Aerospacefest: An annual festival in the spring that celebrates everything about aerospace (flying and space).
- Stargazing Nights: On the first Friday of every month, you can go stargazing with the New Hampshire Astronomical Society. There's also a public science talk and a planetarium show.
- Teen Night Series: On the second Friday night of each month, there are special events just for teens.
- Summer Camps: The center offers fun summer camps where you can dive deep into science and space topics.
- Workshops: They also have workshops for homeschoolers and teachers, and even special science workshops for toddlers!
