About
Sciencenter Youth Programs take place in a hands-on science museum with over 250 interactive science exhibits. Children can explore spaces such as the Animal Room with live reptiles and fish, the Energy Gallery, Build Space, Watergates Gallery, Mezzanine Gallery, Airways Maze, and Curiosity Corner’s Pet Vet. Exhibits address topics including the environment, climate change, astronomy, and the health of the oceans, and the museum also develops traveling exhibitions like Bridges to Bioengineering, a 1,500 square-foot bilingual (Spanish/English) exhibition about biomedical engineering in medicine and public health.
• Ages: 3–12 years old
• Schedule: Open daily 10:00am to 5:00pm
The mission of Sciencenter Youth Programs is to cultivate an engaged community of curious, collaborative, critical thinkers. The Sciencenter runs a robust field trip program and summer camp that engage children throughout the year, and it offers a resources library of free tools and activities for educators, museums, researchers, and home use. Through partnerships with rural and low-income communities, the Sciencenter serves 68,000 individuals annually with hands-on science education for all ages and, as a partner with Kids Discover the Trail!, welcomes all second-grade students in Tompkins County for curriculum-based field trips that connect students from different neighborhoods. The Sciencenter is an active member of national networks, is a founding member of the NSF-funded TEAMS exhibition collaborative, is a key partner for the National Informal STEM Education Network (NISE Net), and tours 11 traveling exhibitions to museums and cultural organizations across the U.S. and Canada.
The Sciencenter is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), is a member of the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) and the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM), and has again achieved AAM accreditation, which is the highest national recognition for museums in the United States. In 2024, Senator Lea Webb awarded the New York State Senate’s Empire Award to the Sciencenter, and it has received regional recognition, including gold for Best Museum in the Finger Lakes Favorites awards in both 2024 and 2025 and Best Place to Go on a Rainy Day in the 2025 Best of Ithaca awards.
Last updated August 10, 2026.
• Ages: 3–12 years old
• Schedule: Open daily 10:00am to 5:00pm
The mission of Sciencenter Youth Programs is to cultivate an engaged community of curious, collaborative, critical thinkers. The Sciencenter runs a robust field trip program and summer camp that engage children throughout the year, and it offers a resources library of free tools and activities for educators, museums, researchers, and home use. Through partnerships with rural and low-income communities, the Sciencenter serves 68,000 individuals annually with hands-on science education for all ages and, as a partner with Kids Discover the Trail!, welcomes all second-grade students in Tompkins County for curriculum-based field trips that connect students from different neighborhoods. The Sciencenter is an active member of national networks, is a founding member of the NSF-funded TEAMS exhibition collaborative, is a key partner for the National Informal STEM Education Network (NISE Net), and tours 11 traveling exhibitions to museums and cultural organizations across the U.S. and Canada.
The Sciencenter is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), is a member of the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) and the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM), and has again achieved AAM accreditation, which is the highest national recognition for museums in the United States. In 2024, Senator Lea Webb awarded the New York State Senate’s Empire Award to the Sciencenter, and it has received regional recognition, including gold for Best Museum in the Finger Lakes Favorites awards in both 2024 and 2025 and Best Place to Go on a Rainy Day in the 2025 Best of Ithaca awards.
Last updated August 10, 2026.
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