A science museum uses collections and research to teach its visitors. A science center is a little bit different, according to Science Central executive director Martin Fisher.
"Science centers are hands-on and interactive and fun and exciting and loud and stimulating," Fisher said.
Twenty years ago, that sounded pretty good to the community leaders, elected officials, and business leaders of Northeast Indiana. After visiting science centers in other cities, they decided to create one here. And Science Central was born.
According to Fisher, one of the biggest accomplishments of his “exciting, loud, and stimulating” institution is making the sciences more accessible to everyone.
"We make it fun. We're impacting that child who decides they want to go into science or take science classes. We're impacting that adult to be able to see those real world connections of science.
Science Central is celebrating its birthday by having free admission today from 4-6pm, followed by a special lighting ceremony that will make those famous rainbow smokestacks visible in the dark for the first time.