The Children’s Science Center is proud to announce our sites and phased development plans for a 5,400-square-foot first operating site, called The Lab, to be located at Fair Oaks Mall, in Fairfax, Virginia and a 53,000-square-foot world-class children’s science museum to be located at the Kincora development in Dulles, Virginia.
Slated to open in mid-2015, The Lab, anticipates serving more than 60,000 visitors annually and will include Exploration Stations, an Experiment Bar, a Tinkering Studio, and Budding Scientist areas for toddler/preschool visitors. The full-scale museum, scheduled to open in 2019, anticipates more than 300,000 visitors each year, delivering innovative, hands-on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) exhibits, content, and experiences.
These two hands-on, interactive STEM-based facilities will be the first of their kind in Northern Virginia and will fill a much-needed gap in an area where STEM disciplines are essential to the local economy and workforce.
This announcement will enable Northern Virginia, the largest metropolitan region without a children’s museum or science center, to finally offer world class facilities for hands-on, experiential learning to resident families, students and visitors to the region through the Children’s Science Center.
Even before we had identified our sites, the response from the community, including supporters like you, has been wonderful and has fueled our growth. We appreciate all you have done to follow and support our efforts, enabling this shift into the next phase – site-specific planning, fundraising and construction.
Folks, I can tell you this is a HUGE boost to our community and our kids on so many levels, and the team behind this is fantastic! I am a long supporter of this organization (full disclaimer: I have volunteered at events, helped raise funds, and provide the museum with a free ad on this site) and have watched them in action at community events and at science nights at my son’s own school. I am over-the-moon excited that so many more people will get to experience the joy of discovery through science.
You can read more details about the museum locations on their press release and even see conceptual renderings of what The Lab and the large, permanent museum will look like. Please spread the word and continue to support this fantastic organization! Are you as excited as we are? Tell us below what you’re looking forward to the most!
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