Sciencenter facts for kids

The Sciencenter is a super fun, hands-on science museum located in Ithaca, New York. It's a special place where you can learn about science by doing cool experiments and exploring interactive exhibits. It started on February 28, 1983, as a non-profit group focused on education. The idea for the Sciencenter grew from a volunteer-run science program that had been active for 15 years in elementary schools in the Ithaca City School District. Even though it became famous across the country, it didn't have paid staff until the 1990s, showing how much the community helped it grow!

How the Sciencenter Began

The Sciencenter started because of two amazing volunteers, Debbie Levin and Ilma Levine. They wanted to make the "Science Discovery Room Program" they had created in schools even bigger. In 1982, they put an ad in the local newspaper, inviting anyone interested in starting a community science center to a meeting. From this meeting, a group of leaders formed, and they helped make the Sciencenter a success.

Moving Around in the Early Days

In its early years, the Sciencenter didn't have a permanent home. Its exhibit spaces moved between different empty storefronts in downtown Ithaca. The very first exhibit opened in 1984. When they had to move, they found free space in an old music store. Volunteers built all the exhibits, and schools were invited to bring classes for hands-on activities. From 1986 to 1989, more and more people joined and visited, and even more volunteers helped out. In 1990, the Sciencenter closed its exhibit space to focus on building a permanent home.

Planning a Permanent Home

By 1988, it was clear the Sciencenter needed a bigger, permanent place to keep growing. A famous architect named Bob Leathers, known for building playgrounds with community help, offered to design the new Sciencenter. He suggested that the museum should be built by people from the community – including business owners, teachers, doctors, and even kids! This way, the science museum would truly belong to everyone who helped build it.

The First Big Fundraising Effort

The fundraising for the new building began in 1990 with a generous donation. In October 1990, Dr. Charles Trautmann became the executive director. The project was officially announced in February 1991 at a big party with 500 people, including important leaders and famous scientists like Carl Sagan. With their help, the Sciencenter team created detailed plans and aimed to raise $1 million. The new building was planned to be about 5,000 square feet (465 square meters) with an outdoor science park.

Building Phase 1: A Community Effort

The first part of building the Sciencenter was a huge team effort. Many companies and individuals donated money, materials, or gave big discounts. Restaurants even provided food for the volunteers! A special grant helped with the heating system. The biggest challenge was a $100,000 grant that required the community to raise a matching amount.

Groundbreaking for the new building happened in August 1992. Construction took place between August 1992 and May 1993. Over 2,200 volunteers gave more than 40,000 hours of their time to build the museum! The grand opening was on May 22, 1993, less than a year after they started building. In the early days, about 50,000 visitors came each year to explore the exhibits and join the programs.

Expanding the Museum

The Sciencenter quickly created many new exhibits. By 1995, they had so many that some were in storage because there wasn't enough space! More people wanted to join their programs, and the staff had grown. To make more room, the Sciencenter leased a nearby building. In 1996, the City of Ithaca gave this building and more land to the Sciencenter for just $1!

In 1999, the Sciencenter started a new fundraising effort to expand the museum to 32,000 square feet (2,973 square meters). This would add more exhibit and program space, plus special areas for younger kids. They raised $5.5 million, and the expanded museum opened on February 28, 2003, exactly 20 years after the Sciencenter was founded.

Helping Visitors and Running the Museum

The Sciencenter has a team that manages the front desk and the museum store. Volunteers are still a huge part of how the museum runs. They help as guides, assist members, maintain the building and grounds, and even lead educational programs. With the help of these volunteers, the Sciencenter often hosts free days at the museum and free community events.

Fun Educational Programs

The museum offers many different programs, both at the museum and in other locations. They have programs for schools and for the general public. These include field trips, after-school activities, summer camps, and hands-on activities on the museum floor. The Sciencenter has something for everyone, from toddlers to adults!

Exciting Sciencenter Exhibits

The main goal of the Sciencenter is to help everyone become curious, confident, and critical thinkers. The Sciencenter in Ithaca has over 250 fun, hands-on exhibits! It also features an outdoor science playground, a seasonal 18-hole Mini-Golf course, a Tidepool Touch Tank with live marine animals, an animal room, and a special area for kids aged 4 and under.

A unique part of the Sciencenter is its outdoor science park. It has ramps and structures with more than two dozen playground-like activities that teach you about physics, engineering, and geology. In 2008, 275 volunteers from the community helped improve this park and other outdoor learning spaces.

In 1997, the Sciencenter opened the Sagan Planet Walk. This is an outdoor walking model of our Solar System, named after Carl Sagan, a famous astronomer who was part of the Sciencenter's advisory board. The walk is 1,200 meters long and goes from downtown Ithaca to the Sciencenter. In 2003, an audio tour narrated by Bill Nye was added. In 2009, an Asteroid station with a real meteorite was added. In 2018, cool Augmented Reality features were added to some of the stations.

Traveling Exhibitions

The Sciencenter also creates exhibits that travel to other museums across the country! This program became national in 1996. The Sciencenter was one of five museums that worked together to create five different traveling exhibits. One of the Sciencenter's contributions was "FUN, 2, 3, 4: All About a Number of Things!", which has 15 exhibits about measuring, graphing, counting, and estimating.

The Sciencenter's first big solo traveling exhibit was called "Tech City." It was a 3,000 square foot (279 square meter) exhibition that started touring nationally in 2003. Over the years, the Sciencenter has received many other grants to develop and manage traveling exhibits. They now manage and support 14 traveling exhibitions, with eight of them created by the Sciencenter itself!

Discovery Trail Connection

The Sciencenter is part of the Discovery Trail. This trail connects several of Ithaca's museums and the public library, making it easy to explore many different learning places in the city.