Connecticut Science Center Salutes Veterans with Free Admission

The Connecticut Science Center salutes the nation’s veterans with free admission for veterans and active duty military on Saturday and Sunday, November 9 & 10. The weekend honoring service personnel includes reservists and retired personnel. Accompanying family members will all receive 50% off General Admission to the Science Center throughout this weekend.*

Veterans and their families are invited to explore four floors brimming with hands-on science - more than 165 engaging and educational exhibits, including space and earth sciences, physical sciences, biology, the Connecticut River watershed, alternative energy sources, Connecticut inventors and innovations, a children’s gallery, and much more. Other features include the state’s only year-round butterfly habitat, five educational labs, and a 200-seat 3D digital theater. The Connecticut Science Center will be open from 10AM to 5PM both weekend days.

Visitors can also enjoy the newest exhibit, Our Changing Earth, which just opened last month. Coming as public interest is noticeably increasing – particularly among young people - regarding the immediate and long-term impact of climate change, the new exhibition explores the science driving change throughout Earth’s history and looks ahead at what might happen next.

The extemsive array of new and enhanced exhibits feature the most up-to-date scientific data, creating an immersive experience, focusing on earth science, its impact on humans, and the influence of humans on the environment. Our Changing Earth, sponsored by Pitney Bowes Foundation, is among the dozens of engaging and interactive exhibits highlighting the Connecticut Science Center’s 10th anniversary year.

“We are honored to host our veterans and service members at no charge,” said Connecticut Science Center President and CEO Matt Fleury. “We look forward to providing opportunities for families to enjoy the excitement of science, from the core of the Earth to the farthest regions of outer space – and everything in between. It is our way of expressing our gratitude to individuals who have earned our admiration and appreciation.”

The latest addition to the Science Center’s stellar exhibit line-up includes an in-depth look at impacts of the changing climate in Connecticut as seen on the Geographic Information System (GIS)-enabled touchscreen, which allows visitors to layer in unique risk data that can help predict the future impact of big storms on the coastline or the effect of rising temperatures on our state.

Visitors can also experience an iconic journey to the center of the earth inside a giant geodesic dome (complete with vibrating core), as they discover the relative fragility of the Earth’s life-bearing crust, and better understand magma flow, continental shift, and plate tectonics through augmented reality, hands-on tactile experiences, and interactive touchscreens. In addition,

Science Center visitors can feel the power of hurricane-force winds in the Hurricane Simulator, in which visitors enter an isolation chamber to feel the powerful force of a hurricane.

Earth’s sometimes dramatic impacts on people are explored through the new American Red Cross preparedness section of the exhibition, showing critical supplies for the aftermath of a storm. This feature includes opportunities for photos and immersive play in the Rescue Scene with rescue and relief gear and a climb-in inflatable rescue craft. They can also learn about technology’s role in forecasting the weather by building and recording their own weather forecast, just like a real meteorologist, using real-time weather data in the WFSB Early Warning Pinpoint Doppler Radar Exhibit.

Supporting the Science Center’s STEM Career Connections initiative, launched earlier this year, the entire exhibition provides insights into STEM Careers related to the changing conditions across the planet. Data indicates that young people who become familiar with career paths in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) years before college are more likely to pursue studies in the STEM fields and go on to careers in these disciplines.

In addition, at the Connecticut Science Center’s newest hands-on exhibit, Mazes & Brain Games, visitors can maneuver through a mind-boggling collection of 3D puzzles and full-body games- using logic, balance, memory, and dexterity to solve our mazes and puzzles. Mazes & Brain Games is presented by ProHealth Physicians™, part of OptumCare®, and provides engaging opportunities to build a 3D marble maze and watch it work, bust out a beat in the music maze, multiply yourself in the infinity mirror, and much more.

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About the Connecticut Science Center: The LEED-Gold certified Connecticut Science Center, located in downtown Hartford, sparks creative imagination and an appreciation for science by immersing visitors in fun and educational hands-on, minds-on interactive experiences while maintaining an environmentally conscious presence. Serving more than 3.25 million people since opening in 2009, the Science Center features more than 165 exhibits in ten galleries, covering a range of topics. The Science Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing science education throughout the state of Connecticut and New England, providing learning opportunities for students and adults of all ages, and engaging the community in scientific exploration. The Connecticut Science Center is the home to the Joyce D. and Andrew J. Mandell Academy for Teachers, offering powerful professional development for educators. More information: CTScienceCenter.org or (860) SCIENCE.

*The Veterans Day Weekend offer applies to General Admission only and cannot be used on or towards a Double or Triple play ticket. Please note that the Connecticut Science Center is CLOSED on Monday, November 11.