Connecticut Science Center

What Connecticut Science Center does

The Connecticut Science Center is a nonprofit interactive science museum operating since 2009 from a LEED Gold-certified facility at 250 Columbus Boulevard in downtown Hartford, Connecticut. It maintains over 165 hands-on exhibits across themed galleries including Exploring Space, Forces in Motion, Sports Lab, Energy City, Engineering Lab, River of Life, Health Lab, Genome in Me, Invention Dimension, Butterfly Encounter, KidSpace, and KidSpace Outdoors, supplemented by a 200-seat 3D digital theater (Hoffman Foundation Science Theater), five educational labs (Pfizer Discovery Center), and sensory-friendly programming. The organization has reached 5 million cumulative visitors since opening and currently serves 300,000+ visitors annually, drawing guests from all 50 states and internationally.

The Science Center operates a hybrid revenue model combining earned income (general admission via dynamic plan-ahead pricing of $27 youth / $34 adult / $31 senior, $15 school group rates, annual memberships with express entry and add-on discounts, private and corporate event rentals, gift shop sales, and birthday party packages) with contributed revenue (individual giving, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and an annual gala). Its go-to-market is event-driven and multi-channel: ticketing, school field trip reservations, youth group bookings, traveling off-site programs, and special exhibitions such as Sharks (organized by the American Museum of Natural History), Science Fiction Science Future, and The Science Behind Pixar.

The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired since January 2025 by Liberty Bank CEO David W. Glidden, with President & CEO Matt Fleury leading operations. Strategic corporate partnerships anchor its programming, including Aetna as cornerstone sponsor of STEM Career Connections through 2030, Boehringer Ingelheim (Innovation Lab, March 2026), Travelers (Discovery Center labs), Hartford HealthCare (Health Lab exhibit and Long Weekend free access initiative), RTX, Cigna, Stanley Black & Decker, and Energize Connecticut. Educational partnerships extend to East Hartford Public Schools (off-site STEM Lab), The Jackson Laboratory, UConn, Yale, and University of Hartford, supporting K-12 field trips, NGSS-aligned curriculum programs, teen workforce development, and a multi-year educator professional development pipeline.

Name

Connecticut Science Center

Legal name

Connecticut Science Center

Website

https://ctsciencecenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Connecticut Science Center is a nonprofit interactive science museum in Hartford, Connecticut, serving 300,000+ annual visitors through 165+ hands-on exhibits, a 3D theater, educational labs, and corporate-sponsored STEM programming for families, K-12 schools, and teens.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Interactive Science Museum and Informal STEM Education

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), 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)

Keywords

• Hands-on science exhibits
• STEM education programs
• Interactive science museum
• School field trips
• STEM career programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Hartford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. General Admission Tickets: Dynamic-priced day tickets for individual and family visitors. Prices vary based on demand, date, and advance purchase timing.
2. Memberships: Annual membership programs offering unlimited general admission, express entry, discounted add-ons (movies, Butterfly Encounter), and member-only pricing.
3. School Field Trip Programs: Discounted group admission ($15/student) plus add-on Discovery Center Lab Programs, Butterfly Encounter Programs, Stage Shows, and Movies for school groups. Supported by sponsors such as Travelers.
4. Private & Corporate Events: Rental of function rooms and spaces for private events, corporate gatherings, and weddings.
5. Gift Shop: On-site retail gift shop selling science-themed merchandise.
6. Donations & Grants: Individual giving, corporate giving, foundation grants, and annual gala revenue supporting the nonprofit's educational mission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Connecticut Science Center is a nonprofit interactive science museum operating a LEED Gold-certified facility with over 165 hands-on exhibits, a 200-seat 3D digital theater, five educational labs, and a year-round butterfly habitat. It delivers STEM educational programming including school field trips, NGSS-aligned lab programs, teen STEM career pathway programs, traveling off-site programs, and special exhibitions. The Center also hosts private and corporate events, birthday parties, and an annual gala, supported by memberships, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and individual donations.

Product overview

The Connecticut Science Center is a science museum offering a unified experience centered on interactive STEM exhibits and educational programs. The core product is General Admission providing access to over 165 hands-on exhibits across multiple permanent galleries including Exploring Space, Forces in Motion, Sports Lab, Energy City, Engineering Lab, River of Life, Health Lab, Genome in Me, Invention Dimension, Butterfly Encounter, KidSpace, and KidSpace Outdoors. The Science Center operates as a single integrated venue with optional add-ons including 3D Movies in the Hoffman Foundation Science Theater, Butterfly Encounter premium experience, Wildlife Encounters animal shows, and Science on Screen film series. Educational offerings include School Field Trips, Discovery Center Labs, Teen Programs, and STEM Career Connections. Additional revenue streams include Venue Rentals for private events, Birthday Parties, and Annual Memberships. The Science Center also hosts rotating special exhibitions like Sharks and Science Fiction, Science Future, and traveling exhibitions like The Science Behind Pixar.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• General Admission Daytime admission ticket providing access to over 165 hands-on interactive exhibits, live demonstrations, and immersive STEM experiences at the Connecticut Science Center for individual visitors and families.
• Sharks Exhibition A special exhibit featuring dozens of life-sized shark models from megalodon to lanternshark, exploring how sharks evolved, hunt, and sense the world. Organized by the American Museum of Natural History.
• Butterfly Encounter

Quantifiable outcome

• 5 million cumulative visitors since opening in 2009, including visitors from all 50 states and numerous countries
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2026Joint launch of an Innovation Lab within the Connecticut Science Center focused on expanding STEM education opportunities in human health, biology, and pharmaceutical sciences. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held March 27, 2026, as part of a STEM career event expected to draw more than 500 middle and high school students. The initiative connects classroom learning with career pathways in science and medicine.
• East Hartford Public Schools (EHPS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Partnership to provide a dedicated EHPS STEM Lab at East Hartford High School, offering elevated hands-on STEM learning experiences for elementary students. Lab opened October 20, 2025.
• Aetna (CVS Health company)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 May 2025Cornerstone sponsor of the Connecticut Science Center's STEM Career Connections initiatives through 2030. This multi-year commitment represents a significant investment in Connecticut's future workforce and long-term economic vitality, reinforcing Aetna's dedication to Hartford and strengthening the STEM pipeline.
• TravelerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital experience presenter and premier partner. Supports the Pfizer Discovery Center laboratory programs and provides funding for educational lab experiences.
• Hartford HealthCarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of Long Weekend free museum access during America's 250th / CT Commemoration. Provides free general admission for up to 250 Connecticut residents daily. Also partner supporting Health Lab exhibit and accessibility initiatives.
• Real Art WaysminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-presents the Science on Screen series at the Connecticut Science Center, pairing feature films with talks from notable scientists. Series includes Wall-E, Agent of Happiness, Point Break, and Bringing Up Baby screenings with UConn, Yale, and University of Hartford faculty.
• The Jackson LaboratoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner sponsor for the Genome in Me exhibit, supporting programming around genomics and DNA exploration.
• Pitney Bowes FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresenting sponsor of KidSpace exhibit, supporting hands-on sensory water play experiences for children 6 and under.
• Maximilian E. & Marion O. Hoffman FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports the Maximilian E. and Marion O. Hoffman Foundation Science Theater (200-seat 3D digital theater) and the Sharks 3D film presentation.
• Maximilian E. & Marion O. Hoffman Foundation, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary sponsor of KidSpace Outdoors, the outdoor science playscape for children 6 and under featuring climbing structures, pollinator habitats, and sensory landscapes.
• Energize ConnecticutminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting Energy City exhibit, which teaches visitors about renewable energy, wind turbines, solar panels, hydropower, and fuel cells.
• Stanley Black & DeckerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports the Engineering Lab exhibit, which features challenges across structural, mechanical, electrical, aerospace, and software engineering.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• COSI (Center of Science and Industry): Columbus, Ohio science center with 300+ interactive exhibits, giant-screen theater, and strong K-12 STEM curriculum alignment. Comparable as a regional STEM hub with hands-on exhibits, theater, school programs, and corporate-sponsored labs.
• Museum of Science, Boston: Large New England science museum with hands-on exhibits, IMAX theater, and K-12 programming. Directly comparable in mission, scale, and audience to the Connecticut Science Center, and a primary regional peer for school groups and family visitation in Greater Hartford's broader catchment.
• The Franklin Institute: Philadelphia science museum featuring 3D theater, permanent hands-on exhibits, traveling blockbuster exhibitions, and K-12 educational programming. Comparable in scale, exhibit philosophy, and reliance on traveling exhibitions to drive visitation.
• Carnegie Science Center: Pittsburgh-based science center operated by Carnegie Museums, with hands-on exhibits, 3D/4D theater, and traveling exhibitions. Comparable in mid-sized regional science center profile, K-12 outreach, and corporate sponsorship model.
• Liberty Science Center: New Jersey-based interactive science center with hands-on exhibits, IMAX/3D theater, and robust K-12 and teen STEM programs. Closely comparable in operating model, exhibit-driven admissions, school field-trip pricing, and corporate-sponsored STEM career programming.
• Saint Louis Science Center: Free-admission science center in St. Louis with 700+ exhibits, OMNIMAX theater, and substantial K-12 and corporate STEM partnerships. Comparable in exhibit breadth, theater programming, and is named alongside the Connecticut Science Center in Burns & McDonnell's multi-museum donation program.
• Pacific Science Center: Seattle-based science center with hands-on exhibits, IMAX theater, and STEM programming. Comparable as a regional interactive science center with similar school-program and membership revenue mix.
• Rochester Museum & Discovery Center: Rochester, NY combined museum and science center with hands-on exhibits, 3D/4D theater, and educational programming. Comparable in mid-sized regional science center scale and K-12 outreach mission.
• New York Hall of Science: Queens, NY science museum with 450+ exhibits, 3D theater, and strong NYC public-school STEM programming. Comparable in exhibit-driven admissions, theater, and large K-12 school-group market focus.

Broad incumbents

• Exploratorium: San Francisco's flagship hands-on science museum, well known for inquiry-based exhibits and STEM educator professional development. Operates at a larger and more internationally recognized scale but shares the interactive-exhibit, teacher-training, and K-12 NGSS-aligned ethos.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ctsciencecenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/connecticutsciencecenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ct-science-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Connecticut Science Center