Kentucky Science Center

What Kentucky Science Center does

Kentucky Science Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating Kentucky's largest hands-on science museum and serving as the Commonwealth's designated State Science Center under a designation granted by the Kentucky General Assembly in 2002. Founded in 1871 as a cabinet of curiosities within Kentucky's public library system and headquartered at 727 West Main Street in Louisville, the Center operates three floors of interactive exhibits (Science in Play, Who Forted?, The World We Create, MakerPlace, Discovery Gallery, The World Around Us, Uniquely Human, One World by Air Cargo, PlayPort) and a four-story 195-seat Discovery Theater for documentary and Hollywood film programming. The Center serves 325,000+ visitors annually and reaches 100% of Kentucky counties and 98% of Indiana counties through traveling programs including the Science in Play2Go mobile exhibit, Assembly Programs, Science Enrichments, and Science Expos.

The Center's product surface extends well beyond the physical venue into structured educational and outreach programs: Science Camps for PreK through 8th grade, field trip programming aligned with Kentucky Academic Standards and Next Generation Science Standards, fee-based Classes & Labs, MakerPlace Workshops, Super Genius Birthday Parties, event rentals (weddings, corporate events, proms), and a retail Do Science Shop. Membership tiers range from a $139 Family tier to a $425 Family Experience Dual with Louisville Zoo tier, with a free Community Access Membership for SNAP/WIC families sponsored by Brown-Forman. Strategic technology infrastructure includes an eMembership Card app, emuseum online ticketing platform, GoodMaps indoor navigation, a digital learning platform, and theater management system.

Revenue is generated through eleven distinct streams: general admissions, annual memberships, theater tickets, birthday parties, science camps, event rentals, traveling science programs, retail, grants and donations (including a $25,000 Greater Good Science Center grant and core funding from PNC Grow Up Great, IMLS, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, and Brown-Forman), educational classes and labs, and the Pulse of Surgery live-streaming program in partnership with U of L Health-Jewish Hospital. Core customer segments are families with children (primary), K-12 schools (primary), corporate and private event clients, underserved populations reached through Community Access Membership and traveling programs, and adults served through 21+ events and venue rentals. The organization employs 51-100 staff and is led by President & CEO Mike Norman, who has overseen $2 million in operating budget growth since 2020.

Name

Kentucky Science Center

Legal name

Kentucky Science Center

Website

https://kysciencecenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1871

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kentucky Science Center, founded in 1871 and designated Kentucky's State Science Center since 2002, operates Louisville's largest hands-on science museum, serving 325,000+ visitors annually through interactive exhibits, educational programs, camps, and statewide traveling outreach across Kentucky and Indiana.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science Museum & Informal Education Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (712110), Museums (71211)

akta.pro primary industry

Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA), Science Camps & Field Programs (Nature, Space, Marine, Geology) (EDAMABAB), Science & STEM Lab Equipment & Supplies (Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Makerspaces) (EDAEAIAC), Makerspace, Innovation Lab & Fab Lab Operations (Tools, Safety, Programming) (EDAEAGAI)

Keywords

• Interactive science exhibits
• STEM education programs
• School field trips
• Museum memberships
• Science outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. General Admission Tickets: Pay-per-visit admission fees for individuals and families to access exhibits, with pricing based on age categories (child 2-12, adult 13+, free for under 2).
2. Annual Memberships: Recurring annual memberships at multiple tiers (Family, Family Experience, Dual with Louisville Zoo, Community Access, Non-Profit) providing unlimited admission and discounts.
3. Movie Theater: Four-story digital theater screenings including documentary and Hollywood feature films with separate ticket pricing.
4. Birthday Parties: Package-based birthday party bookings including themed activities, venue access, and add-ons.
5. Science Camps: Single-day and week-long science camp programs for PreK-8th grade with optional aftercare.
6. Event Rentals: Private event rentals including weddings, corporate events, proms, and full-building rentals with various venue options.
7. Science Expos and Assembly Programs: Traveling science programming brought to schools and community events including hands-on activity stations.
8. Do Science Shop: On-site retail gift shop selling science-themed gifts, toys, books, and souvenirs.
9. Grants and Donations: Grant funding from foundations (Greater Good Science Center $25,000) and charitable donations from individuals and corporate partners.
10. Educational Classes and Labs: Fee-based educational classes aligned with curriculum standards for school field trips.
11. Pulse of Surgery Virtual Program: Live surgery streaming program with per-student and flat-rate pricing for virtual or on-site delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Kentucky Science Center operates Kentucky's largest hands-on science museum on three floors of interactive exhibits complemented by a four-story digital Discovery Theater. It sells admissions, memberships, school field trips, science camps, birthday parties, event rentals, traveling outreach programs, and educational classes for families, K-12 schools, and community organizations across Kentucky and Indiana.

Product overview

Kentucky Science Center is Kentucky's largest hands-on science museum operating as a single unified facility rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering centers on three floors of interactive exhibits including Science In Play, Who Forted?, The World We Create, MakerPlace, Discovery Gallery, The World Around Us, Uniquely Human, One World by Air Cargo, and PlayPort. Adjacent to exhibits, the 4-story Discovery Theater serves as a major product offering showing documentaries and Hollywood films. The science center extends its reach through traveling programs including Science in Play2Go (mobile exhibit), Science Travels to You (school outreach), and field trip/education programs. Ancillary offerings include Science Camp, Super Genius Birthday Parties, MakerPlace Workshops, Science Celebrations, Event Rentals, Do Science Shop, and various Membership tiers. The facility also houses community access programs and serves as a venue for adult events like exBEERiment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 325,000+ annual visitors served
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Greater Good Science CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 August 2022Provided $25,000 grant to support development of the Uniquely Human exhibit focusing on intellectual humility. One-time grant funding for specific exhibit development.
• PNC Grow Up GreatcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPrimary funder powering Science in Play2Go traveling exhibit program that has welcomed over 250,000 visitors. Critical funding enabling mobile science education across Kentucky libraries.
• Purdue PolytechniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigh school summer camp partnership (TECHnique Week) offering STEAM activities at Purdue Polytechnic New Albany location. Includes designing Rube Goldberg machines, 3D printing, squishy circuits, screen printing, AutoCAD, laser cutters, and circuit soldering activities.
• KY FIRST RoboticsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Advanced Robotics: Orbit Odyssey camp (Grades 6-10) providing hands-on XRP robot design, building, and Python coding experiences with end-of-week tournament.
• U of L Health-Jewish HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLive surgery streaming partnership enabling Pulse of Surgery educational program. Real-time heart surgery broadcasts from hospital OR to classroom locations for grades 6-12.
• WLKYminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partnership supporting Our Dynamic Earth educational class programming for schools.
• Louisville ZoocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDual membership partnership offering combined Kentucky Science Center and Louisville Zoo memberships at Family ($285) and Family Experience ($425) tiers.
• KrogerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKroger Community Rewards program donates percentage of member purchases to Kentucky Science Center. Shoppers link Kroger card to designate Science Center as charity.
• Louisville Public Media's WFPKminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert screening event, bringing radio station co-promotion to the event.
• American Association of MuseumsminorOthersProfessional affiliation membership for museum industry best practices and networking.
• Association of Children's MuseumsminorOthersProfessional affiliation membership for children's museum industry.
• Association of Science-Technology CentersminorOthersProfessional affiliation (ASTC) enabling reciprocal Passport Program membership network with 350+ science centers worldwide.
• MakerPlace (presented by PNC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMakerPlace exhibit and workshop space presented by PNC, featuring STEAM education through making, tinkering, and hands-on creation activities.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Adventure Science Center: Nashville-based science center with hands-on exhibits, a digital theater, school programs, and event rentals, broadly comparable in size and mission to Kentucky Science Center.
• Discovery Place: Charlotte, NC science and children's museum operator with multiple locations, exhibits, camps, and educational programs serving a similar mid-sized metro footprint.
• Carnegie Science Center: Pittsburgh-based science center operating interactive exhibits, a digital dome theater, school programs, and camps under a similar nonprofit membership-and-admissions model.
• Pacific Science Center: Seattle-based nonprofit science center with hands-on exhibits, IMAX/digital theater, camps, and reciprocal membership network participation; comparable operating structure and visitor scale band.
• Science Museum of Virginia: Richmond, VA statewide science museum with exhibits, educational programming, and theater; comparable state-affiliated positioning and K-12 programming orientation.
• COSI (Center of Science and Industry): Mid-large hands-on science museum in Columbus, OH with comparable exhibit-based model, school field trip programs, traveling outreach, and event rentals. Closest direct peer in scale and operating mix to Kentucky Science Center.

Regional players

• The Children's Museum of Indianapolis: Largest children's museum in the world, located about 115 miles from Louisville; competes for similar family field trip and tourism demand within driving distance of Kentucky Science Center's audience.
• Louisville Mega Cavern: Louisville-based family attraction offering underground tram tours, ropes courses, and ziplines; competes with Kentucky Science Center for local family discretionary entertainment spend.

Broad incumbents

• Liberty Science Center: Larger New Jersey-based science center with a wider portfolio of premium exhibits, a planetarium, and tiered memberships; comparable operating model but materially larger scale.
• Museum of Science and Industry: Chicago's flagship science museum with a much larger exhibit footprint and national draw; overlapping mission but significantly larger scale and endowment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kentuckysciencecenter
• Xx.com/KYScience
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kentucky-science-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kentucky Science Center