Science centers are thriving and going strong!

Abstract

In a critique of the science center movement, J. M. Bradburne (in Public Understanding of Science 7, no. 3 [July 1998]: 237-253) maintained that science centers were unwilling to adapt, and were therefore doomed. In this response, the author shows that science centers are adapting and changing. Science center attendance is growing worldwide, both in old and new institutions. Science centers typically operate from buildings, while providing services outside the site. There is a wide range of inventiveness in selecting sites, and, as a result, determining capital expenditure. Science centers are comparatively cost effective and viable. They typically depend on several sources of revenue. Through several examples, evidence of change in science centers is presented. Science centers likewise tend to have an individual flavor in different parts of the world. Science centers are attractive and competitive, and they cater to local audiences. Present day science centers should be considered third generation museums. The emphasis on hands-on exhibits in science centers may have limited the way in which science is depicted in science centers. Taken as a whole, science centers seem to be both sustainable and to provide value for money.