The Science Center of Iowa is back open to the public!
The family-favorite destination is open on Saturdays and Sundays with new precautions to limit crowds and reduce the spread of germs – but there’s still plenty to do to keep the kids entertained and engaged.
In the “What On Earth?” exhibit, you can explore Iowa’s native habitats: prairies, woodlands, wetlands, caves and urban areas. Say “hello” to cold-blooded critters, including Snippy the snapping turtle and Charlene the box turtle. And don’t miss SCI’s newest residents: bees! Just like at the State Fair, you can view a working hive. (For an extra challenge, see if you can spot the queen, who is marked with a blue dot!)
In the “Why The Sky?” exhibit, you can see a flight suit worn by astronaut and Iowa native Peggy Whitson. Explore the planets of the solar system with the Magic Planet, or create your own planetarium show on the Cosmic Jukebox. There’s also a new rover interactive, where you program and command a robotic rover to move around! The Star Theater also is open for planetarium programs throughout the day.
At this time, all of Science Center of Iowa’s other exhibits are closed, but the plan is to open more spaces as soon as they can.
There also are a few important changes for how you will visit Science Center of Iowa (SCI):
- All visitors (including SCI members) will need to purchase advance tickets at www.sciowa.org/buytickets. Tickets are available in three two-hour time slots throughout the day (9 a.m. -11 a.m., 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m.-4 p.m.) You will be checked in at the start of the timeslot and asked to exit at the end of the two hours. SCI staff will then clean the facility before the next group is allowed to enter.
- Before entering the building, all visitors will be asked to complete a basic health screening – where you will show your tickets (printed or on a mobile device), have your temperature checked, and answer a few health-related questions.
- As an organization rooted in science, SCI also is requiring face coverings for all visitors ages 5 and up. All SCI staff also will be wearing face masks.
- Because of these changes, admission has been reduced to $7 per person (still free for SCI members)!
As the summer progresses, more will be known about the virus and how it’s impacting the community. SCI staff will be watching carefully to learn how audiences interact with exhibits and programs under these new circumstances, and they expect the SCI experience will change and evolve.
For more details on what to expect when you visit SCI, visit www.sciowa.org/reopening
Connect with The Science Center of Iowa
401 W Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway Des Moines, IA
Telephone: 515-274-6868
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