Our History

In 1982, a number of interested members of the community met at the Tompkins County Public Library and formed the board of directors of the Sciencenter.

Founded in May 1983 as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization, the Sciencenter grew out of the hands-on science program run for 15 years by volunteer teachers Debbie Levin and Ilma Levine (pictured above) at several Ithaca City School District elementary schools. For most of those years, the program was based at Central Elementary School (now Beverly J. Martin Elementary School), where Principal Beverly Martin encouraged them to set up a "science discovery room.” Debbie and Ilma realized the special value of making science accessible, from an early age, to underserved youth. This philosophy has continued throughout the history of the Sciencenter: it is a common thread woven into the location, mission, and programs of the organization today.

By 1984, the Sciencenter was operating out of donated storefronts. Volunteers built exhibits, a small museum store was added, and schools were invited to bring classes for hands-on programs.

From 1986 to 1989, membership and attendance grew, and the base of volunteers expanded. By the fall of 1988, it was clear that the organization would need to find a larger and more permanent facility for the long term. It was proposed that members of the community build the Sciencenter. The result would be a science center that belonged to the entire community.

By 1991, the Sciencenter hired Dr. Charles Trautmann as Executive Director and launched a successful capital campaign to build a permanent location.

Construction on Phase 1 – a 5,000 square foot museum with an adjacent outdoor science park – took place between August 1992 and May 1993. The museum was built on the site of the former water treatment plant for the City of Ithaca. In total, 2,200 volunteers from the community donated over 40,000 hours to the project. The grand opening took place on May 22, 1993, only nine months after groundbreaking.

By 1995, the Sciencenter expanded adding 2,000 square feet of additional program space, thanks to the help of volunteers.

The Sciencenter raised $5.6 million to renovate the entire facility and expand it to 32,000 square feet with the help of more than 1,200 volunteers, including Bill Nye (The Science Guy). The expansion was completed on February 28, 2003, on the 20th anniversary of the Sciencenter’s founding.

The Sciencenter is a nationally recognized museum, hosting 100,000 guests in Ithaca each year and reaching over 1.5 million guests worldwide through our traveling exhibitions and outreach programs.