Enter a New Era and a New World-Class Educational Destination
HARTFORD, CT - June 12, 2009 – The highly anticipated new Connecticut Science Center opened its doors at a noontime ceremony today, led by Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell and the Center’s Board of Trustees. A robot-assisted ribbon-cutting presented by local aspiring engineering students from the FIRST Robotics program launched a new era of learning in Connecticut, which can now offer residents and visitors a major science education destination. The new Science Center, a stunning architectural landmark along the Connecticut River in Connecticut’s capital city, is created to inspire lifelong learning through interactive and innovative experiences that explore our changing world through science. Made possible by the leading support of the State of Connecticut and over $40 million in contributions from philanthropists, corporations and other donors, the 150,000 square foot Connecticut Science Center offers 150 interactive exhibits, a 3D movie theater, laboratory classrooms, a café, gift shop and on-site parking at the Science Center/Riverfront Garage.
“Today, Connecticut looks forward with vision to the world of the future and the readiness of our state and our children to succeed with awareness, knowledge and skills,” said Governor Rell. “Far too many children find science distant and intimidating, and the Connecticut Science Center is here to reveal the importance, possibility and enjoyment of science that will help them embrace this important subject throughout their lives.”
The visually distinctive Science Center building, designed by world renowned architect Cesar Pelli of New Haven, has changed the landscape of downtown Hartford. The innovative and iconic building design is already becoming an architectural landmark for millions of New England traveler.
“On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the staff of Science Center, I convey our great appreciation for the commitment and confidence of the State of Connecticut, our very generous donors and all those who have supported this effort in ways large and small,” said Cheryl A. Chase, Chair of the Board of the Connecticut Science Center. “Each generation has the opportunity to contribute something significant to those which succeed it, and we can all be proud that this institution is a legacy that will inspire and motivate many generations to come.”
The Science Center’s exhibits, programs and learning methods are designed to deeply integrate with the State of Connecticut’s Science Education Framework. Thousands of school children are already booked for educational field trips to the Science Center, thousands of supporters hold new Science Center membership cards, and over 600 educators have been trained in the Center’s highly regarded teacher professional development program to improve their science teaching skills.
“At a time when people seek good news and good value, the Connecticut Science Center is here to offer an easy to reach, affordable, highly entertaining and powerfully educational destination,” said Matt Fleury, President & Chief Executive Officer of the Connecticut Science Center. “This magnificent new building, our interactive and engaging exhibits and programs and our service-oriented team are going to demonstrate, celebrate and elevate our community’s devotion to science, education, and the future of Connecticut and our children in a knowledge economy.”
The Science Center will be a LEED certified “green” building, minimizing the impact to the surrounding environment and utilizing and demonstrating the most promising energy solutions and technologies. A green roof garden, fuel cell power and smart light detection systems that adjust interior lighting based on the amount of ambient light exemplify the Science Center’s commitment to employing smart technologies to preserve the environment. These and other technologies are displayed in the Center’s unique energy exhibit gallery, which addresses contemporary energy and environmental issues through the lens of science.
The Center provides educational value and new strength to Connecticut as an east coast tourism destination, along with a recently developed Convention Center, football stadium and hotels, and Hartford’s enviable array of arts, heritage and cultural attractions. Local hotels and resorts have begun offering science-inspired overnight packages and value-added promotions to attract out-of-town travelers for weekend getaways.
Visitors will be able to enjoy over 150 hands-on exhibits in ten galleries covering science topics such as space, energy, biology, sports, health and physics, sight and sound, geology and weather forecasting as well as science processes and innovation skills in the Invention Dimension exhibit gallery and learning labs. The Center’s traveling exhibit gallery opens with the exciting exhibit, Speed, about the thrills and science of going fast. The Science Center offers entertaining and educational personal interactions between visitors and “Gallery Scientists”, as well as guest subject matter experts, many of whom will be scientists themselves. To drive its workforce-development emphasis, the Center provides specific career-pathing exhibits and programs to introduce visitors to the possibilities of a future in science, and the unexpectedly broad and accessible array of educational and professional opportunities in science-related fields. The Science Center’s high tech 3D theater opens with the movies 3D Sun and Dinosaurs Alive.
General admission for visitors is $13 for children, $14.50 for senior citizens and $16 for adults. Memberships are available for as low as $35.
