Sciencenter

Science museum · Ithaca

Sciencenter

Science museum · Ithaca

601 1st St, Ithaca, NY 14850

Highlights

Ithaca’s Sciencenter is a hands-on kids' museum with interactive science exhibits, live animals, splashy water play, and an epic outdoor playground.

601 1st St, Ithaca, NY 14850 Get directions

sciencenter.org

@onthegrid

On the Grid : Sciencenter

"Ithaca is a town of scientists, so it's no surprise that this nationally renown hands-on museum began as a volunteer-run science program in the local schools in 1983. Since then, tens of thousands of volunteer hours have built and maintained the museum as it stands today, housed in a funky two story building in Ithaca's active North Side. Highlights (meaning our favorites) include the the live animals and Tidepool Touch tank, the gravity dam (pretty much anything with running water), the Mars and Stars exhibit, and the Science Playground - check out the sound waves explorations. The Scream Chamber where you can measure the decibel meters of your friend's scream is pretty cool too. While it's a great place to take your kids, unaccompanied curious adults will not feel out of place." - St. John Design Group

https://onthegrid.city/ithaca/downtown-ithaca/sciencenter

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@onthegrid

On the Grid : Sciencenter

https://onthegrid.city/ithaca/downtown-ithaca/sciencenter

View Postcard for Sciencenter

@onthegrid

"Sciencenter, Downtown Ithaca. Ithaca is a town of scientists, so it's no surprise that this nationally renown hands-on museum began as a volunteer-run science program in the local schools in 1983. Since then, tens of thousands of volunteer hours have built and maintained the museum as it stands today, housed in a funky two story building in Ithaca's active North Side. Highlights (meaning our favorites) include the the live animals and Tidepool Touch tank, the gravity dam (pretty much anything with running water), the Mars and Stars exhibit, and the Science Playground - check out the sound waves explorations. The Scream Chamber where you can measure the decibel meters of your friend's scream is pretty cool too. While it's a great place to take your kids, unaccompanied curious adults will not feel out of place."

Ithaca

View Postcard for Sciencenter

Rohit Shah

Google

Wonderful and very interactive place for young kids. Lots to play indoor and outdoor. Good learning opportunity for kids with interactive exhibits. Plenty of parking spaces. They also have mini golf which is a separate cost than the science center fee. Not too far from the downtown area.

Chris Orr

Google

Loved this place. Not just fun for children but good for the adults as well. Very informative and interactive at the same time. Will be coming here again as the weather warms. It has indoor and outdoor activities. Sorry I o lying got photos of animals. Will update when we go again.

Doran Santacroce

Google

My grandson is only 9 months, but he had a BLAST here! We were on vacation and temps were at 90. We thought this would be a great, cool indoor activity. We spent quite a bit of time in the toddler area, especially the water play, But we did tour the whole center and it's really impressive! I especially liked the room where kids could check out experiment kits. Really great hands on learning and a chance to interact with your child. The outside play area looked like lots of fun, but it was too hot for the little. I would go again!

Kashmala Feroze

Google

The kids love sciencenter. It has activities for all age groups especially little ones. It is one of the best places in Ithaca to take the kids to for a fun day of exploration and learning.

Jenn B

Google

We took our kiddos here on a Saturday recently and they all loved it. There are so many great hands on activities to do, and the variety ensures that there's something that everyone will enjoy. The building has two floors full of things to do, as well as an outdoor area to explore. Admission was very reasonable, and they do offer several different discounts. We'll definitely be visiting here again in the future.

Chuck Whigham

Google

We were told about the Sciencenter by our mechanic who said it was worth the dive. We drove 45 minutes to the Sciencenter for the first time with our grandchildren. All of us really loved the facility both indoors and outdoors. It has a reasonable admission rate and it was jammed packed with a lot of interactive exhibits with great information. Our oldest grand daughter especially enjoyed the Marine life or aquatic petting. The younger ones really enjoyed playing with all of the water presentations. We all learned some amazing facts while having a lot of fun. They have restrooms strategically placed throughout the science center which are very convenient. The outside playground area allows both the small and older a chance to unwind from science and provide them with a mental break. The Sciencenter in Ithaca makes for a fun and factual outing with children and it is definitely worth checking it out. I would recommend going during the week when there is less of a crowd.

Lisa Powers

Google

We came here as a day trip and it was fantastic. It was during spring break and it was pouring rain and honestly it was not as crowded as I thought it would be. My 7 year old and I loved this place. It was our first visit and pretty much all the science things were hands on learning. We will definitely be coming back here again and hopefully during nicer weather when the outdoor area is more usable and we can do the space walk too.

Rachelle Kopke

Google

Took my kids and a few other family members we all enjoyed ourselves we did the touch show as well. We played outside for a bit but it was just so hot the day we went. We stayed for a couple of hours as well. Only thing was half the things were out of order.

Angela B.

Yelp

On a whim we decided to take the hour drive to Ithaca and check out the Sciencenter, so glad we did! The cost for a child (toddler was free) and 2 adults was about $32. I felt it was a pretty good value, if we lived closer we would definitely go for the membership. The perimeter of the building is a little unkempt but don't let that deter you. The inside is deceivingly large and filled with all things science. The kids loved the aquarium and reptile exhibit which was stocked with a lot of neat animals (pythons and lion fish). There was lot to keep the kids busy, including my energetic toddler. Some of the exhibits felt a little "homemade" but overall, it was a fun, learning experience. I recommend visiting on a nice weather day because the outdoor play area is a lot of fun for the kids. They have a nice gift shop and clean bathrooms. All staff were super friendly. We'll definitely return when we're in the area!

Crystal P.

Yelp

Out of all the children's museums I feel like this one just understands us parents. WIFI! Seriously they had wifi and oddly enough no other children's museums seem to have that or care. WTF are us parents supposed to do while our kid is having the time of his life? Anyway I'd call this our favorite museum ever because of the wifi. We got to just sit down and be on our phones while our son played to his heart's content with water, balls and all kinds of fun things. While enjoying nice indoor AC. I saw they had a cool outdoor area with sand, bubbles but it was hot and we did not want to deal with that lol. I'll forever remember this place as yay wifi lets go again. I'm also now spoiled and will constantly bring this place up when we go other places that do not have wifi. My son wanted to move in here, seriously he even went into a room and locked the door :P staff quickly helped us get him out. Leave it to my son to do something like that. If you are in the area with kids come here! Enjoy the ac, sit down and catch up on emails/fb/insta whatever you're into. Let your kids explore and have a blast :P

Lenny C.

Yelp

Great place to spend a few hours with the kids! The cool mini golf course is also all about science! Friendly staff and nice volunteers... lots of interactive activities for little ones of all ages. Free for military families and vets! Plenty of free parking and a cool gift shop!

Molly S.

Yelp

Best children's museum we've been to. friendly staff. Great exhibits that really engage the kids. Dedicated space inside and out for toddlers.

Misty L.

Yelp

I absolutely love to bring my grandchildren here. They always have a blast, while at the end of the day I sit back and wonder if it was them or if it was me that had the most fun. It's 100% debatable!! It is also outstanding that they have a discounted rate for thise who have an extra card.

Alex S.

Yelp

Slightly disappointing, I thought it was the center for Scientology but it was just a bunch of little kids on a school trip. Had a good time though. Would recommend.

Jesse S.

Yelp

The Sciencecenter is such a fantastic place to take small kids. There are so many interactive hands on exhibits and they don't try to bludgeon children with explanations that are too complex for them. Also, everything is surprisingly clean and well maintained. We always spend at least two hours and sometime over three hours on our visits here. My only complaint is that there is absolutely no access to drinking water. They've turned off the fountains and banned outside drinks during the pandemic and they don't sell bottled water. I always leave here dehydrated.

Jo Z.

Yelp

When my granddaughter stayed with us for a week we brought her to the Sciencecenter. She loved it. We tried out many of the interesting gadgetry and she was quizzed by some students from Cornell. They wanted to see her again but unfortunately she had returned to Canada. It was such a great experience and we all enjoyed it very much. I think anyone who lives in Ithaca and has children should visit this place often!

Jennifer H.

Yelp

We brought our 6 and 10 year old daughters for the first time and it's a really fun place! We spent almost two hours there. The touch tank was a big hit as well as the live reptiles. Lots of fun things to play with. Definitely glad we stopped here while we were in town. Oh and bonus if you are a teacher. It happened to be "Ithaca Loves Teachers" week so we were able to get in for free. (Teacher plus a guest and since we are both teachers we got our kids in for free too.) Not sure if we'd come back just because it probably wouldn't seem as fun the second time around, but again, something fun to do while in town.

Jacob W.

Yelp

Definitely would be a fun place for kids under normal circumstances. However, if you as much as take a drink of water, the staff will ask you to leave- because it means you took your mask down momentarily. In fact, the staff went as far as to say if even a baby needs to take a drink of their water or milk, we must take them out of the facility. I witnessed the staff patrolling and telling children to pull their masks up because the masks had simply fallen slightly below their noses. There are a thousand things here that the children are touching, one after the next. And no, I didn't see any parents chasing their kids around with hand sanitizer. Therefore, kids are much more likely to spread germs with their hands than they are if their mask drops a little bit too low, or if they take a quick sip of water. It doesn't take a genius to understand that this logic is beyond outrageous. A place that should represent positivity, wonder and joy instead now represents negativity, guilt and oppression. Disgusting and shameful. Note: at the time of writing this, state-wide mask mandates are no longer in effect.

Theresa R.

Yelp

Best science museum for kids ever! Every single thing is interactive and unique. Fun for all ages, even the parents. The outdoor play area is awesome for getting some energy out... Bubbles, drums, climbing, echo machines, and more. I was most intrigued by the brain power activity... Moving a ball using your brain activity! We spent a couple hours here. Our local science museum has reciprocity with this location, so it was free admission with our membership. Kids already want to return!

Jessica P.

Yelp

We decided to visit the Sciencenter on a quiet Friday afternoon. We had flown in from Oregon two days before and wanted to let our 2 year old play and run off some steam as she adjusted to the time change. We have a membership to a museum in Oregon which granted us free access to the Sciencenter so we set off. I remember going to the Sciencenter just once as a kid, on a school field trip so I wasn't sure what to expect. The lady at the front was extremely friendly and helpful. She let us know that the tide pool was open, but only for another 20 minutes so she recommended we check that out first. We headed in that direction and had a great experience. There were all sorts of sea creatures for the little one to touch and the lady working the exhibit was fantastic. She provided fun age appropriate facts about the animals and helped our little one touch them. We moved into the animal room and all of the enclosures were clean and well maintained. We worked our way upstairs and back downstairs again. It flowed well and I couldn't help but comment on the huge amount of space they had for their exhibits. We were especially impressed with the two story Rube Goldberg machine that they had, I must have watched it for at least ten minutes on each level. We eventually made our way to the toddler area, which housed the usual stuff, a water table, a little kitchen, some books, puzzles, and a cool little vacuum table in the middle. Our little one played in there for quite some time before we were able to get her out to the playground. It was a little on the cold side when we visited, but we went outside anyway. The playground is fantastic and so unique! We loved the music area with the steel drums and giant xylophone. There's also a sand table, which garnered much attention. I loved jumping on the suspension bridge and the pendulum exhibit. There's a big spider web in the middle that was fun to climb, even as an adult. We had an absolute blast outside. This is a great place to bring kids for a day of fun. The playground in particular is really special and I wish more Sciencenters had something like it. It's ironic that a museum in upstate New York would have such a great outdoor exhibit! Overall, we had a blast and had to take our little one out of there kicking and screaming!

Jacqueline S.

Yelp

Great place to go with kids if you are in Ithaca, NY! We were visiting friends with our 2 kids (5 and 2 years old) and they suggested we go here. We are members of the Providence Children's Museum and were happy to find that because of that we were able to get in for Free! My friends had to pay $8 each, but even that is not such a bad deal. It is a large building and they also have a huge outside area. It was pretty cold, so hubs and the 5 year old went running around outside while the 2 year old and I went into the Toddler area. Really great and interesting activities for the kids. Something that I noticed and liked was an area that said "put a toy here if your kid puts it in their mouth... these items are cleaned nightly". I am not sure how much this is utilized, but it does give the aura of cleanliness. And it was very clean there despite being a kids place. Even though it was busy it did not feel crowded like our fave Prov Museum because it was so large. Definitely worth it.

Amy E.

Yelp

I haven't been to this place since I was in grade school, so it was such a treat to come back as an adult with my 5 year old! The outdoor playground isn't as magical as I remember as when I was a 5th grader, but it was obvious my son's mind was blown. He loved the bubble and drum station. We did some of the water activities- building a dam, watching ducks float. A new section that wasn't always there is the live animal exhibits. T got to pet a few snakes and see some cool animals from different countries and parts of the world. There are two or 3 floors of fun. You pay once price for all day entry, so you can go and come back. We weren't there for too long- a couple of hours or so. We probably won't go back next summer unless he requests it but we had a great time!

Fiona H.

Yelp

I enjoy the SC with the two year old I take care of at least once a week. It is clean, the employees are kind and the exhibits change every couple of months. Additionally, the SC runs programs for little ones during day time hours. The Sciencenter is a must if you're Ithaca with kids (under 12 or so)!

Jess V.

Yelp

This place is awesome. Kiddos were 10 months and 2.5 yrs. We were in town for a wedding and it was conveniently located and great for indoor and outdoor play!

Karen M.

Yelp

We loved it! Sad the outside part was closed, even though the weather was fine. We spent hours here! Lots of hands on things for my 3 and 1 year old. And us old folk found plenty of interesting things too!

Rachael D.

Yelp

Fun place. Our son loves it here which is all that really matters. Would be nice if they fixed some of the interactive stations and changed it up a little more, a lot of the stations do not work. Also the landscaping outside is in desperate need of some love and it's looking a little run down. Aside from those few details, it is educational and fun for kids.

Gen V.

Yelp

Great place for kids ! Even for adults lol I learned a few things here ! There is many things to do here and sometimes on weekend they have hands on actives you and your child can do .. It's a really great place.. If you should your EBT card you can get in for $1

Peter C.

Yelp

Came here with a group of 7 adults, a 5 year old, a 2 year old and a toddler yesterday. The 5 year old was entertained for the full seven hours that they're open and wants to go back again today (which isn't happening, lol). There were enough interesting things for the adults as well. Great place for families. Only thing I'd say, which is mentioned in at least one previous review, is that they had a couple of exhibits that weren't working properly, so it would be great if they could get these fixed.

Ray M.

Yelp

We were visiting the Finger Lakes for a week, and wanted to have a day trip that didn't involve wine tasting. You know, for the kids. Our five year-old liked looking at the beehive on the second floor. We weren't able to find the queen, but it was fun looking at them. She actually laughed out loud and ran over to the different-colored shadows and the mirror exhibit (convex and concave). One thing she suggested was that the playground should have some slides. Our three year-old liked the playground best. Actually, it was pretty cool. There were echo tubes, gongs, and exhibits of simple machines that used the kids as the weights... but no slides. The first room was by far the most interesting. Games about histograms and place value as well as puzzles and dam building. Some of the exhibits seemed to be getting a little out of date, and I'm the guy who thinks of 2004 as recent. Seemed like a lot of it was Ask The Question, Flip The Placard. Also, some of the space exhibits on the second floor were either difficult to figure out or didn't work. We'd go again, and we did spend all day there, which says a lot.

Jessica B.

Yelp

I have been to the Sciencenter many times as a child and with my child. It is a wonderful place to go to where your kids are able to actually touch and learn about science. They also have a small area with reptiles and a touch pool where you can touch sea life. They have two floors and change exhibits from time to time so it doesn't get boring. There is also a play area so children can burn off extra energy if need be. We love going to the Sciencenter.

Megan M.

Yelp

Great little museum in a small town. Especially enjoyed the discovery center upstairs where kids could borrow experiment boxes. Closes a few minutes before the museum, but lots of fun, hands on activities and experiments. Fun!

Kerry F.

Yelp

I love the Sciencenter! The first time I went it was smaller - I was in college and they had just built the Sagan Planet Walk. My mathematics professor assigned the walk to his students, and when I got to Pluto there I was at the museum! What fun! Then it got even bigger and was a regular Sunday afternoon stop for my husband and I (haha it IS great for kids, but we always had fun even just ourselves). Hubby really likes exhibits where you can build things - I think his favorite ever was a Kinex bridge building exhibit. My favorite part is the Saturday Showtimes with John Alvarez, who is awesome. He does shows about plants and food and animals, full of information and always with fun & humor. In the summer Galaxy Golf is also fun, and if you want to hold a sea star you should visit their Touch Tank! I used to work here and loved to see kids at the Touch Tank, they were so amazed and humbled by getting to hold the animals.

Linda L.

Yelp

My kids (both under 6) loved it here and keep asking to go back! It's the perfect size - lots to do, but not overwhelming. Favorites included the water area and the motion-deisgn your own roller coaster. The outdoor area is big with lots to do - bubbles, sand, music area. We were entertained for at least 3 hours. You can bring lunch and they have an indoor seating area. No food served, but they do have a "healthy" vending machine (hey it had a better selection than most!) also for an additional fee there is mini golf. We will be going back.

Cam P.

Yelp

This science museum was a BLAST! Tons of interactive exhibits from solving crimes, to building dams, to blowing bubbles. I love science so this place was perfect for me. It was obviously geared towards kids (which I am not), but museums for adults are boring. It also has a space-themed golf course which looked awesome but we decided to get burritos instead of play. For a fun, cheap, and educational activity in Ithaca, look no further!!

Govind A.

Yelp

This is an amazing gem in Ithaca. The kids love it and it's a lot of fun for adults as well. Some of the exhibits don't work on occasion. But they are regularly refreshing the space. If you're in town go there. If you live there and have kids, get an annual pass.

Alicia L.

Yelp

We are members of the Sciencenter and really enjoy bringing our son there. A membership is really the way to go if you are local and plan to go there even once a month. We even got to go to a wonderful Children's Museum included in our membership when we were traveling -- there are many museums that allow you to enter for free with a Sciencenter membership. The exhibits grab kids' attention and it looks like the museum is well maintained and very clean.

Rebecca Y.

Yelp

The Sciencenter is a gem to find in a small town like Ithaca. They feature a bunch of exhibits, including a Live Animal exhibit (I saw and touched a huge snake once!), interactive exhibits, ocean and outer space exhibits. Sciencenter also features a summer camp. Their playground outside is also a lot of fun. Great for kids and the family.

Person P.

Yelp

While going here as a field trip, this is a great way for children to learn how science works. It has so many activities for students to observe and children cant get enough of it! Built in reptillian room, science interacted playground, and amazing sculptures to do and see, how can you not love it? One downside was leaving, I really enjoyed this field trip and would like to go back again. Looking for a fun science-interacted place to go? Just go to the Ithaca Sciencecenter!

Kay S.

Yelp

Went with 2 5-year olds and several adults. Grandparents had a great time, as did the little ones. A little small and quite low-tech, but in our screen-saturated world I liked this aspect a lot. Touch tank was cool, as were interactive exhibits on how dams work and the workings of toys. Recommend you bring a change of clothes or plastic apron if your kids like playing with water like mine do. Don't let your watch or credit cards get close to the 2nd floor magnet display or they're toast. Perfect for kids and young-at-heart, too bad the outdoor playspace is not open till April. Took 1.5 hours to get through most of it.

Andrew V.

Yelp

It was really just ok. The exhibits seemed very old, used and worn. The place needs a update and overhaul. There were some computer type modules that had tube type monitors???? There was nothing using modern technology(I-Pads) flat screen / touch screen. Not that every exhibit needs an I-pad but it shows its age. The touch tank had little to see a star fish and a horseshoe crab. The outdoor playground was a duck drop that was overgrown with algae, a bubble display that didn't work, a pendulum that didn't work, and again overall poor upkeep. Also there was a group of students from nearby college looking for volunteers to do a study, were approached about 3-4 times and asked to participate, slightly annoying, recommendation - post a sign and a discount $1 off, or a free second visit, and you will get a ton of volunteers, don't "harass" people having a family day. I would give the place a 2 except my kids did have fun and that was the goal, I hope the staff read this review and work towards updating the facility.

Constance B.

Yelp

The people behind the Sciencenter are absolutely lovely and dedicated. What's there is lots of fun - for its target audience, but that seems to be just children under the age of 8. Science is for everyone, not just little kids. Could we please have more displays and interactive stuff for adults and for teens? I don't feel that I can take my teenage granddaughter here without her rolling her eyes at me.

Mark L.

Yelp

We've been members on and off for 8 years while raising children. A nice place to visit if it isn't too crowded. Staff is uneven in terms of helpfulness and courtesy. A craft helper, probably a teenaged intern, was really helpful and friendly, while a staff member at the desk was grim, almost comically slow, and while holding my member card with my name on it, addressed me as "pop". The exhibits change infrequently, the place is kind of grubby, but for a twin the size of Ithaca, it's nice to have. Membership provides reciprocity at other children's museums around the country.

@onthegrid

On the Grid : Sciencenter

https://onthegrid.city/ithaca/downtown-ithaca/sciencenter

View Postcard for Sciencenter

@onthegrid

On the Grid : Sciencenter

https://onthegrid.city/ithaca/downtown-ithaca/sciencenter

View Postcard for Sciencenter

@onthegrid

Ithaca

View Postcard for Sciencenter

Rohit Shah

Google

Chris Orr

Google

Doran Santacroce

Google

Kashmala Feroze

Google

The kids love sciencenter. It has activities for all age groups especially little ones. It is one of the best places in Ithaca to take the kids to for a fun day of exploration and learning.

Jenn B

Google

Chuck Whigham

Google

Lisa Powers

Google

Rachelle Kopke

Google

Angela B.

Yelp

Crystal P.

Yelp

Lenny C.

Yelp

Molly S.

Yelp

Best children's museum we've been to. friendly staff. Great exhibits that really engage the kids. Dedicated space inside and out for toddlers.

Misty L.

Yelp

Alex S.

Yelp

Slightly disappointing, I thought it was the center for Scientology but it was just a bunch of little kids on a school trip. Had a good time though. Would recommend.

Jesse S.

Yelp

Jo Z.

Yelp

Jennifer H.

Yelp

Jacob W.

Yelp

Theresa R.

Yelp

Jessica P.

Yelp

Jacqueline S.

Yelp

Amy E.

Yelp

Fiona H.

Yelp

Jess V.

Yelp

This place is awesome. Kiddos were 10 months and 2.5 yrs. We were in town for a wedding and it was conveniently located and great for indoor and outdoor play!

Karen M.

Yelp

Rachael D.

Yelp

Gen V.

Yelp

Peter C.

Yelp

Ray M.

Yelp

Jessica B.

Yelp

Megan M.

Yelp

Kerry F.

Yelp

Linda L.

Yelp

Cam P.

Yelp

Govind A.

Yelp

Alicia L.

Yelp

Rebecca Y.

Yelp

Person P.

Yelp

Kay S.

Yelp

Andrew V.

Yelp

Constance B.

Yelp

Mark L.

Yelp

Sciencenter

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On the Grid : Sciencenter

On the Grid : Sciencenter

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On the Grid : Sciencenter

On the Grid : Sciencenter