The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center’s mission is to inspire every generation to reach for the stars, through engaging, artful and entertaining activities that explore astronomy, aviation, earth and space science.
The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center is a sustainable memorial that will engage minds, make learning fun, and inspire people of all ages to pursue lifelong learning about our universe.
Two floors of interactive permanent exhibits on astronomy, aviation, Earth and space science, space history, general science & engineering
Two+ temporary special exhibitions each year
Outdoor astronomy & space science exhibits
Full-dome, digital Sky-Skan Definiti theater
Tonight's Sky show presented live and updated to show what is visible in the night sky each season
Brand new and old favorite immersive planetarium shows on astronomy, aviation, Earth and space science
AerospaceFest - annual aerospace festival the 1st Saturday in May
Super Stellar Fridays - Special evenings the 1st Friday of each month
Monthly After Hours at the Discovery Center
Week Long Summer STEM Camps for Kids
School Field Trips and Homeschool Workshops
Special programs
Sustainability – Pursuit of sustainability is at the heart of the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center's strategic plan. We define sustainability as an organizational framework for pursuing our mission, attracting an ever-growing audience to free-choice STEM education, and establishing operating reserves of 50% of our annual budget. To that end, we are committed to sharpening our focus on particular initiatives within the following priority areas over the next five years:
1. Mission – Deliver to our diverse audiences engaging educational offerings to increase our impact and appeal
2. Leadership – Develop active and effective board leadership and participation to boldly advance MSDC
3. Finances & Development – Increase both earned and contributed income to become financially robust
4. Staffing & Volunteers – Support and build our staff and volunteer corps to more fully serve our audiences
5. Marketing and Communication – Reach out to and grow our audiences through a variety of communication platforms