Museum of Science & Technology - Syracuse, New York - Leading Science and Technology Center

The Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology is located at 500 South Franklin Street in Syracuse, New York. The Museum was established to provide the opportunity for people of all ages to learn about science and technology in a hands-on and entertaining environment.

The philosophy of the Museum is to promote science and technology in a fun, state of the art, and interactive way. The Museum has a diverse number of exhibits, science demonstrations, workshops, classes, activities, planetarium shows, and the Bristol IMAX Omnitheater.

The activities and exhibits at the Museum include the Life Sciences exhibits, the Discovery Cave, the Science Playhouse, Technotown, the Telecommunications Lab, and the Planetarium.

The Life Sciences interactive exhibits are designed to explore and appreciate the intricacy of the human body and learn about its organ systems. For example, visitors can walk through the huge human heart model to learn about the heart's chambers and arteries, or they can explore the human brain replica to find out about its speed and capacity to retain information. Amongst the other exhibits are the central nervous and respiratory systems.

The Earth Science Discovery Cave activity consists of a cave in which visitors can walk through and learn about geology, cave formations, and water. The Science Playhouse consists of a climbing maze that takes up five floors. It contains a number of activities that present fundamental scientific concepts and principles. Technotown is a huge audio kinetic sculpture also designed to showcase a number of scientific principles. There are also parts in the exhibit that are interactive, as visitors can control the motion of certain objects.

The Telecommunications Laboratory is divided into three main exhibits to present the progress and developments in technology of communication. One exhibit is dedicated to Morse code and Telegraphy. The second explores Amateur Radio Stations. The third exhibit is devoted to Computers and illustrates the changes since the 70s in terms of computer power and sophistication.

The Planetarium accommodates up to 50 people and its shows mainly focus on stars and constellations. The shows at the planetarium are live and visitors are encouraged to ask questions. The length of the show is approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Visitors or groups interested in longer shows are to contact the Museum.

In addition to the exhibits and activities, the Museum also houses the Bristol IMAX Omnitheater, which provides unsurpassed quality and clarity. Most of the movies are educational and the length of the show is around 45 minutes. There are a number of movies playing at the IMAX Omnitheater and the Museum has additional ones in its archives. Examples of the movies that can be viewed are the Mystery of the Nile, Amazon, Encounter in the Third Dimension, Alaska, and Dolphins. Some of the movies also have teachers' guides available. Parties interested in special showings are to contact the Museum.

Furthermore, the Museum staff carries out live science demonstrations between 12pm and 2pm. They also provide a number of traveling science demonstrations and in-house workshops. There are also a number of classes, workshops, and events offered at the Museum. For visitors and groups interested in camping in the Museum, the Museum has a number of programs available and can tailor-fit programs to meet the needs of the teachers and groups.

The Museum caters to birthday parties and other social and business functions. It also offers a number of different membership packages.

The Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm. The Museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. The Science Store hours are from 10am to 5pm Wednesday through Sunday.

The price of admission to the Museum varies based on the activities planned. To visit the exhibit hall only, the price for adults is $5 and is $4 for senior citizens and children between the ages of 2 and 11. The price for the Omni movie is $9 for adults and $7 for senior citizens and children between the ages of 2 and 11. There are other combined options for admission prices, as well as fees for the motion simulator and planetarium. For special hours during the holidays or for any other inquiries, the Museum can be reached by calling 315-425-9068.