About
Sciencenter Youth STEM Programs include hands-on learning with interactive exhibits and activities related to science, technology, engineering, and math. Participants can engage with reptiles and fish in the Animal Room, learn about weather patterns in the Energy Gallery, explore engineering in the Build Space and water engineering in the Watergates Gallery, and get up close to the animal collection in the Mezzanine Gallery. The program also features the Airways Maze with a fifteen-foot air tube maze for sending balls, role play as veterinarians in the Curiosity Corner’s Pet Vet, and special activities like testing different methods to melt ice, rescuing an animal trapped in ice, and playful, informal math exploration with the MathHappens Foundation.
• Schedule: Open Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00am to 5:00pm, with specific program times such as Science Together: Ice Melting on May 13 from 10:15am to 10:45am and May 14 from 3:30pm to 4:00pm, and Math Fun with MathHappens! on May 16 from 11:00am to 3:00pm
Sciencenter Youth STEM Programs take place in a hands-on science museum with over 250 interactive science exhibits, including the Animal Room, Energy Gallery, Build Space, Watergates Gallery, Mezzanine Gallery, Airways Maze, and Curiosity Corner’s Pet Vet. The programs also include a field trip program and summer camp, and they explore topics such as the environment, climate change, astronomy, and the health of the oceans, as well as the “M” in STEM through hands-on models and engaging learning experiences.
The mission of Sciencenter Youth STEM Programs is to cultivate an engaged community of curious, collaborative, critical thinkers. Through partnerships with rural and low-income communities, the Sciencenter serves 68,000 individuals annually with hands-on science education for all ages and welcomes all second-grade students in Tompkins County for curriculum-based field trips as a partner with Kids Discover the Trail!. The Sciencenter is an active member of national networks, is a vital partner in the National Informal STEM Education Network (NISE Net), collaborates on a NISE science activity toolkit for museums nationwide, and serves as a model for developing hands-on exhibits for smaller museums as a founding member of the NSF-funded TEAMS exhibition collaborative. The Sciencenter also offers a membership program with exclusive discounts and unlimited visits, volunteer opportunities, exhibitions available to rent for other museums, and a library of free resources, tools, and activities for educators, museums, researchers, and home use.
Sciencenter Youth STEM Programs are part of an organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and 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, and the museum has earned repeated 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. The Sciencenter has again achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), which is described as the highest national recognition afforded to the nation’s museums.
Last updated May 12, 2026.
• Schedule: Open Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00am to 5:00pm, with specific program times such as Science Together: Ice Melting on May 13 from 10:15am to 10:45am and May 14 from 3:30pm to 4:00pm, and Math Fun with MathHappens! on May 16 from 11:00am to 3:00pm
Sciencenter Youth STEM Programs take place in a hands-on science museum with over 250 interactive science exhibits, including the Animal Room, Energy Gallery, Build Space, Watergates Gallery, Mezzanine Gallery, Airways Maze, and Curiosity Corner’s Pet Vet. The programs also include a field trip program and summer camp, and they explore topics such as the environment, climate change, astronomy, and the health of the oceans, as well as the “M” in STEM through hands-on models and engaging learning experiences.
The mission of Sciencenter Youth STEM Programs is to cultivate an engaged community of curious, collaborative, critical thinkers. Through partnerships with rural and low-income communities, the Sciencenter serves 68,000 individuals annually with hands-on science education for all ages and welcomes all second-grade students in Tompkins County for curriculum-based field trips as a partner with Kids Discover the Trail!. The Sciencenter is an active member of national networks, is a vital partner in the National Informal STEM Education Network (NISE Net), collaborates on a NISE science activity toolkit for museums nationwide, and serves as a model for developing hands-on exhibits for smaller museums as a founding member of the NSF-funded TEAMS exhibition collaborative. The Sciencenter also offers a membership program with exclusive discounts and unlimited visits, volunteer opportunities, exhibitions available to rent for other museums, and a library of free resources, tools, and activities for educators, museums, researchers, and home use.
Sciencenter Youth STEM Programs are part of an organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and 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, and the museum has earned repeated 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. The Sciencenter has again achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), which is described as the highest national recognition afforded to the nation’s museums.
Last updated May 12, 2026.
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