SciTrek facts for kids
| Science & Technology Museum of Atlanta | |
Museum entrance
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| Established | October 29, 1988 |
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| Dissolved | August 27, 2004 |
| Location | 395 Piedmont Avenue North East Atlanta, Georgia 30308 USA |
| Type | Children's Science & Technology Museum |
| Collection size | 140 exhibits appealing to all age ranges |
The Science & Technology Museum of Atlanta, often called SciTrek, was a fun museum in Atlanta, Georgia. It was located at 395 Piedmont Avenue, right next to the Atlanta Civic Center. Sadly, SciTrek had to close in August 2004. This happened because it didn't get enough money from the government. All its cool exhibits were sold or auctioned off in January 2005.
Contents
The Story of SciTrek
How SciTrek Began
In 1982, two friends named Mary O'Connor and Sue Trotter had a great idea. They wanted to create a science museum for Atlanta. They were part of a group called the Junior League.
SciTrek officially started in 1982. It received its first money from the Metropolitan Foundation. This foundation is a group that helps good causes. The city of Atlanta also helped a lot. It gave 96,000 square feet of space at the Atlanta Civic Center for the museum. The Robert W. Woodruff Foundation donated a huge $1 million. After many years of planning and raising money, SciTrek finally opened its doors on October 29, 1988.
Early Success and Growth
When SciTrek first opened, it had 34 staff members and 150 volunteers. Its yearly budget was $2.5 million. During its first three days, 11,000 people visited the museum. By the end of its first full year, SciTrek had 350,000 visitors. The museum hoped to reach 1 million visitors someday.
In 1991, SciTrek reported more than 750,000 visitors. Most of these visitors were schoolchildren. In April 1997, Gwen Crider became the new president of SciTrek. She used to work at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum. In October 2001, Good Housekeeping magazine named SciTrek one of the top 10 science museums in the country.
Even though fewer people visited between 1993 and 1999, SciTrek managed to pay off its $3 million debt in 1999. On December 1, 2000, Lewis A. Massey became the new president and CEO of SciTrek.
Challenges and Closure
By January 2001, SciTrek was having serious money problems. It was losing a lot of money each month. The museum had been losing money for three years. Its board decided to give the museum 90 more days to try and fix things. By June 2001, the State of Georgia gave SciTrek an extra $300,000 to help keep it open. In August 2002, the Georgia Assembly gave SciTrek $425,000. They also started a plan to raise $5 million for the museum.
In January 2003, a new exhibit called the Challenger Learning Center opened. It was a $1.7 million simulated space shuttle mission. In December 2003, Scott Coleman became the new president and CEO of SciTrek. However, in June 2003, the Georgia Department of Education cut SciTrek's funding by 10 percent. This made it even harder for the museum to stay open.
Explore the Exhibits
SciTrek had over 140 exhibits that were fun for all ages. These interactive displays let visitors explore the wonders of science. There was even a special "Kidscape" section. This area was designed just for kids aged two to seven.
One cool exhibit was "Mathematica: A World of Numbers... and Beyond". It showed important moments in the history of math. It also explained math ideas like Kepler's laws of planetary motion and probability theory. Other exhibits focused on making electricity generation in unusual ways. You could create energy from magnetism, "freeze shadows," or step inside a giant kaleidoscope.
Special Programs and Facilities
Challenger Learning Center
SciTrek's Challenger Learning Center was a special place. It was a $1.7 million simulated NASA space shuttle mission. It opened to the public in January 2003. When SciTrek closed, the Challenger Learning Center was going to be sold. Many museums wanted it, but none could afford the $1.7 million price. It almost ended up in the scrap yard!
Luckily, Turner Broadcasting System stepped in. They raised the money to buy the Challenger Learning Center. It was then moved and given to Atlanta's Fernbank Science Center. SciTrek's name, ideas, computers, and educational programs were given to Valdosta State University in 2005. The new SciTrek there is not open to the public. Instead, it serves as a learning center for teachers and students in South Georgia.
STARS: SciTrek Amateur Radio Society
STARS stood for SciTrek Amateur Radio Society. This group operated W4WOW, an amateur radio station inside SciTrek. STARS used different types of radio signals and frequency bands.
When SciTrek was open, the group met on the first Sunday of every month. They would meet at the ham radio station in the museum.
Tech High School
In August 2004, a special school called Tech High opened inside the SciTrek Civic Center building. This school was a mix of public and private education.
