Sciencenter - Sciencenter Exhibits

Sciencenter Exhibits

The mission of the Sciencenter is to inspire excitement for science through interactive exhibits and programs that engage, educate, and empower. The Sciencenter in Ithaca features 250+ fun, hands-on exhibits, educational programs, an outdoor science park, a seasonal 18-hole miniature golf course, a touch tank with live marine animals, and an area designed for kids ages 4 and under. Indoor exhibits include Water Gates, Bernoulli Blower, Ball Machine "Quantum's Last Leap", Dam the Creek, Musical Soundscape, Earthquake Table, How Many is a Million?, Galaxy Golf, and more. A unique feature of the Sciencenter is the outdoor science park, featuring a series of interconnected ramps and structures containing more than two dozen playground-type activities related to physics, engineering, and geology. In 2008, the Emerson Science Park (named in recognition of the Emerson Power Transmission Corporation, which provided funding for its development) was part of a major outdoor capital improvement project that – in the spirit of past community build events – brought together 275 volunteers from the community to enhance the park, and other outdoor learning spaces at the museum. Educational programs include field trips, after school programs, summer camp, and Showtime! presentations.

In 1997, the Sciencenter opened the Sagan Planet Walk, an outdoor walking scale model of the solar system named in memory of Carl Sagan., a member of the Sciencenter’s advisory board until his death in December 1996. The exhibition is 1,200 meters long and extends from the Commons in downtown Ithaca to the Sciencenter. An audio tour for cell phones and media players, narrated by Bill Nye, was added in 2003, and the Asteroid station, featuring a real meteorite, was added in 2009.