Northern Virginia Science Center

What Northern Virginia Science Center does

The Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization developing a 70,000-square-foot interactive science museum in Sterling, Virginia, within the Dulles Technology Corridor at the Kincora development. The center operates as a division of the Science Museum of Virginia (a state agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia) and is being built on land donated by Kincora, backing onto more than 200 acres of natural parkland along the Broad Run stream valley. It is positioned as the first full-size science center serving the Northern Virginia metropolitan region.

The facility will feature five themed galleries — Dominion Energy Gallery (Flow), Shrivastava Family Gallery (Helios), Craig Family Gallery (Wonder), CACI Gallery (Human), and Bolos-Powell Family Gallery (Habitat) — plus a Science on a Sphere digital projection system, Roto-designed interactive exhibits, an Innovation Center, and Innovation Studio I. The building is LEED-certified and solar-ready. Construction broke ground on March 31, 2025, reached topping out on November 12, 2025, and is scheduled for public opening in 2027 with an expected 300,000+ annual visitors.

The Foundation's go-to-market and revenue mechanics are those of a capital campaign-driven nonprofit: the Launch the Future campaign targets $75 million in private and public contributions from individuals, corporations, foundations, and government entities, structured across Pivotal, Title, Principal, Founding, and Element Partner tiers with associated naming rights and recognition on a periodic-table installation. Future operating revenue (post-2027) will be generated through admissions, memberships, special events, facility rentals, and ongoing development/fundraising. Distribution is a single physical destination serving the regional Northern Virginia/D.C. metro market and adjacent states.

Name

Northern Virginia Science Center

Legal name

Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation

Website

https://novasci.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit developing a 70,000-square-foot interactive science museum in Sterling, Virginia, within the Dulles Technology Corridor, set to open in 2027 and serve 300,000+ annual visitors from across Northern Virginia and adjacent states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science Museum

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (71211), Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

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), Lab & Science Virtual Labs (Chemistry, Biology, Physics) (EDAFAJAE), STEM & Lab Simulation Media (Virtual Labs, AR/VR) (EDAGALAF)

Keywords

• Interactive science museum
• STEM education exhibits
• Hands-on learning experiences
• Science center facilities
• Informal STEM education

Headquarters

HQ city

Fairfax

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Campaign Contributions: The organization raises funds through its Launch the Future capital campaign, accepting one-time gifts, multi-year pledges, gifts of stock, and various partnership levels from individuals, corporations, and foundations.
2. Leadership Giving and Naming Opportunities: Major gift program offering permanent recognition through naming rights for galleries, exhibits, indoor/outdoor learning spaces, and the Periodic Table of Elements installation.
3. Membership Program: Recurring membership program for supporters with benefits including recognition and exclusive engagement with the science center.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Northern Virginia Science Center is developing a 70,000-square-foot interactive science museum in Sterling, Virginia within the Dulles Technology Corridor. The facility will feature five themed galleries (Flow, Helios, Wonder, Human, Habitat), Science on a Sphere digital displays, and LEED-certified sustainable building design. The museum will serve families, students, and learners of all ages with hands-on STEM experiences and is expected to open in 2027 with capacity for over 300,000 annual visitors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Children's Science Center Lab Interactive STEM learning center and lab located at Fair Oaks Mall, operated as an existing program providing hands-on science experiences for families, students, and learners of all ages.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300,000+ visitors annually
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and pivotal.

• Balfour BeattycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025Construction firm that broke ground in March 2025; completed topping out ceremony in November 2025 with 700 tons of structural steel and 5,500 cubic yards of concrete.
• Science Museum of VirginiapivotalStrategic or Co-development PartnerState flagship institution for informal STEM learning; operating partner and parent organization of Northern Virginia Science Center. The center operates as a division of the Science Museum of Virginia.
• Commonwealth of VirginiapivotalStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment entity providing support and funding for the science center project as part of public-private partnership.
• Loudoun CountypivotalStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributed $15 million for exhibit design and fabrication plus cash-operating grant. Host jurisdiction for the science center at Kincora development.
• KincorapivotalStrategic or Co-development PartnerReal estate developer providing donated land within Kincora development for the science center location in the Dulles Technology Corridor.
• HGAcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNational architecture firm leading the design of the science center, focused on intersections between learning, play, and community.
• RotocoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLeading design-build firm for museum exhibits, providing fresh ideas and reliable solutions for the Science Center's interactive experiences.
• Children's Science CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorthern Virginia-based non-profit operating the Children's Science Center Lab at Fair Oaks Mall and STEM programs; founding organization behind the science center vision.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Carnegie Science Center: Pittsburgh-based interactive science center with hands-on exhibits, planetarium, and STEM education programs. Comparable in scale, exhibit-driven model, and educational mission to the planned Northern Virginia Science Center.
• Reuben H. Fleet Science Center: San Diego-based interactive science center with IMAX dome and hands-on gallery exhibits. Comparable non-profit operating model with themed galleries and STEM education focus.
• Discovery Place: Charlotte-based science museum and family entertainment complex with hands-on STEM exhibits and education programs. Comparable in scale, themed galleries, and family/school target audience.
• The Franklin Institute: Philadelphia's premier interactive science museum with named, sponsored galleries and a focus on hands-on STEM. Highly comparable in exhibit strategy, named-gallery sponsorship model, and family/school audience.
• Adventure Science Center: Nashville-based science center with interactive exhibits, planetarium, and bluegrass-area STEM programming. Comparable in scale, family audience, and education-driven operating model.
• Pacific Science Center: Seattle-based interactive science center with IMAX, planetarium, and named exhibits. Comparable non-profit science museum model with corporate sponsorships and school programs, similar to NVSC's planned operating structure.
• Children's Science Center: Northern Virginia-based nonprofit operating the Children's Science Center Lab at Fair Oaks Mall and originating the vision for the science center. Direct peer as a hands-on STEM learning provider sharing leadership team, brand history, and target audience in the same geography.
• Liberty Science Center: New Jersey-based interactive science center with IMAX, themed galleries, and strong school-group programming. Comparable regional scale, exhibit-driven model, and education-focused revenue mix.

Broad incumbents

• Museum of Science, Boston: One of the largest US science museums with permanent and traveling exhibits, IMAX, and a strong education mission. Comparable in scale ambitions and exhibit portfolio, providing a benchmark for programming and attendance.
• Science Museum of Virginia: State flagship science museum and explicit parent organization of the Northern Virginia Science Center. Directly comparable as a regional science museum operator with exhibits, IMAX, and STEM programming, providing the operating model and staff (e.g., Rich Conti) for the new facility.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/novascicenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/northern-virginia-science-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Northern Virginia Science Center