About
Sciencenter Youth STEM Programs include hands-on learning with interactive exhibits and activities throughout the museum. Children can engage with reptiles and fish in the Animal Room, learn about weather patterns in the Energy Gallery, and explore engineering in the Build Space and water engineering in the Watergates Gallery. They can also get up close to the animal collection in the Mezzanine Gallery, send balls through a fifteen-foot air tube maze in the Airways Maze, role play as veterinarians in the Curiosity Corner’s Pet Vet, take part in Science Together: Ice Melting, and join Math Fun with MathHappens!
• Ages: 5–12 years old
• Schedule: Open Tuesday–Sunday: 10:00am to 5:00pm
The mission of Sciencenter Youth STEM Programs is to cultivate an engaged community of curious, collaborative, critical thinkers. The programs are part of a hands-on science museum that features over 250 interactive science exhibits, most of which are created in the Sciencenter’s fabrication shop by its team of exhibit developers. The Sciencenter welcomes over 100,000 visitors each year in Ithaca and reaches over 1.5 million people worldwide through traveling exhibitions and outreach programs, including 11 traveling exhibitions that tour museums and cultural organizations across the U.S. and Canada, as well as a robust field trip program and summer camp.
Through partnerships with rural and low-income communities, the Sciencenter serves 68,000 individuals annually by offering hands-on science education for all ages. As a partner with Kids Discover the Trail!, the Sciencenter welcomes all second-grade students in Tompkins County for curriculum-based field trips that promote connections among students from different neighborhoods. The Sciencenter is an active member of national networks, is a vital partner in the National Informal STEM Education Network (NISE Net), and is collaborating on a NISE science activity toolkit for museums nationwide.
The Sciencenter is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and is a member of the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) and the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM). In 2024, Senator Lea Webb awarded the New York State Senate’s Empire Award to the Sciencenter. The Sciencenter has earned repeated regional recognition, winning gold for Best Museum in the Finger Lakes Favorites awards in both 2024 and 2025, and in 2025 it was named Best Place to Go on a Rainy Day in the Best of Ithaca awards. The Sciencenter has again achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM).
Last updated May 12, 2026.
• Ages: 5–12 years old
• Schedule: Open Tuesday–Sunday: 10:00am to 5:00pm
The mission of Sciencenter Youth STEM Programs is to cultivate an engaged community of curious, collaborative, critical thinkers. The programs are part of a hands-on science museum that features over 250 interactive science exhibits, most of which are created in the Sciencenter’s fabrication shop by its team of exhibit developers. The Sciencenter welcomes over 100,000 visitors each year in Ithaca and reaches over 1.5 million people worldwide through traveling exhibitions and outreach programs, including 11 traveling exhibitions that tour museums and cultural organizations across the U.S. and Canada, as well as a robust field trip program and summer camp.
Through partnerships with rural and low-income communities, the Sciencenter serves 68,000 individuals annually by offering hands-on science education for all ages. As a partner with Kids Discover the Trail!, the Sciencenter welcomes all second-grade students in Tompkins County for curriculum-based field trips that promote connections among students from different neighborhoods. The Sciencenter is an active member of national networks, is a vital partner in the National Informal STEM Education Network (NISE Net), and is collaborating on a NISE science activity toolkit for museums nationwide.
The Sciencenter is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and is a member of the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) and the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM). In 2024, Senator Lea Webb awarded the New York State Senate’s Empire Award to the Sciencenter. The Sciencenter has earned repeated regional recognition, winning gold for Best Museum in the Finger Lakes Favorites awards in both 2024 and 2025, and in 2025 it was named Best Place to Go on a Rainy Day in the Best of Ithaca awards. The Sciencenter has again achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM).
Last updated May 12, 2026.
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