Located in Louisville, the Kentucky Science Center is worth the drive! Its flagship location on Louisville, KY’s historic Museum Row welcomes visitors with 3 floors of interactive exhibits and films on a 4 story screen. With daily programming for children, families, and adults, the Science Center plays an ongoing role in the region as a resource for caregivers and teachers, a gathering place for the science community, and a chosen source of entertainment for all.
The Kentucky Science Center is open daily, 9:30a-5p and is just under 2 hours from Cincinnati!
First opening in 1871, the history at the Kentucky Science Center is rich in the city’s revitalization efforts and reaching all audiences and its active work providing informal science, technology, engineering, and math.
Exhibits
Science in Play: Different activity zones challenge children to investigate, assess risks, use objects as tools, shop for shapes, textures and colors, explore, build, climb, predict and test – all through experimental and imaginative play. Reach new heights in our towering Happy Climber, sharpen your senses in the Noodle Forest, and engineer your own roller coaster with modular track pieces.
Who Forted: An Engineering Challenge encourages guests to repurpose ordinary items in extraordinary ways. Using abstract and found objects, you can explore basic engineering, geometry, and design concepts while tackling unique build challenges that are sure to get the whole family involved in the fun.
MakerPlace: Blends together science, technology, engineering, art, and math in a space centered around creativity and endless possibility. The basis of all scientific endeavors is the cycle of curiosity, tinkering, discovery, mistakes and problem-solving. These skills are vital to our 21st century workforce as we collaborate to solve real-world problems.
The World We Create: A collection of interactive exhibits designed to engage visitors in investigative science. Build, test, and revise as you conduct experiments to test your engineering prowess. Construct a self-supporting arch, explore the strength of various bridge designs, or race a ball through a maze to find the best way to get to Kentucky Science Center.
The World Around Us: Natural and earth sciences come to life! Explore ecology and ecosystems, biological diversity, and natural selection and adaptation through three galleries: “atmosphere – the air that surrounds us,” “terrasphere – environments that support us,” and “aquasphere – the water that sustains us.”
One World by Air Cargo: Presented by UPS and the Boeing Company; Get an inside look at the Boeing 747-8F, UPS’s newest aircraft and how it flies STEAM jobs into Louisville and Worldport – UPS’s international air hub in Louisville.
Discovery Gallery: In our Natural History gallery, learn about anthropology, archaeology, and paleontology. A beautifully-curated collection of specimens – from gems and fossils to life-sized polar bears – give guests plenty to explore and observe.
Movies and Showtimes
Don’t just see a movie, experience it! From documentary films to full-length Hollywood movies, Kentucky’s only 4-story, precision white screen, 3D digital theater is sure to leave you in awe. All movies are $5 per person.
Bringing a group of 10 or more? Book at least three weeks in advance and you get to choose the feature. Visit our Field Trip or Group Visit pages to book.
