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41-557: The Sciencenter grew out of the vision of community volunteers Debbie Levin and Ilma Levine who sought to expand upon the "Science Discovery Room Program" they developed with Beverly J. Martin at Central Elementary School (now called Beverly J. Martin Elementary School) in the 1970s-1980s. In 1982, an ad was placed in the Ithaca Journal inviting any individual interested in starting a community science center to meet at

82-419: A $ 1.2 million grant to produce 5 separate traveling exhibitions. These were completed in 1999 and several are still on tour. The Sciencenter's contribution, FUN, 2, 3, 4: All About a Number of Things!, has 15 exhibits on measuring, graphing, counting, and estimating. The Sciencenter's first major solo NSF grant was called Tech City and led to the development of a 3,000-square-foot (280 m) exhibition that began

123-457: A ceremony in August 1992, and construction took place between August 1992 and May 1993, with 2,200 volunteers donating more than 40,000 hours of labor to the project. The grand opening took place on May 22, 1993, slightly less than ten months after groundbreaking. During the early days, visitors streamed into the museum at a rate of about 50,000 per year to interact with the exhibits and take part in

164-515: A discovery room. The campaign raised $ 5.5 million and the expansion project was dedicated on February 28, 2003, on the 20th anniversary of the Sciencenter's founding. With the museum expansion behind it, the organization could now focus on planning for future educational impact and building systems to support these strategic plans. The museum began to implement development, membership, marketing, communications and public/media relations to advance

205-887: A donation of $ 50,000 by Vector Magnetics, Inc., an Ithaca technology firm. In October 1990, the board, under chair Bruce Thompson, hired registered professional engineer and geologist, Dr. Charles Trautmann, as executive director. The project was announced in February 1991 at a party at Rock Stream Studios, then at 235 Cherry St. in Ithaca, that was attended by 500 individuals and highlighted by presentations by Mayor Benjamin Nichols , Assemblyman Marty Luster, State Senator Jim Seward, Congressman Matt McHugh, Cornell President Emeritus Dale Corson , Nobel Laureate Hans Bethe , and Cornell astronomer Carl Sagan . Trautmann and Thompson were able to secure pledges from several donors for $ 250,000 to move

246-524: A national tour in 2003. Over the following years, a number of other major grants were received, including two extensions of the NSF TEAMS grant in 2000 and 2004, additional NSF grants through Cornell University , and a number of NASA Education and Public Outreach grants. The Sciencenter's exhibits staff has grown considerably, and is managing and supporting a portfolio of traveling exhibitions currently including 14 exhibitions, eight of which were developed by

287-599: A result of valuable contributions by a steering committee, corporate lead support, individual and community donors, challenge grant campaign, and community volunteers. Emerson Power Transmission Corporation and Wegmans Food Markets donated cash. A $ 90,000 demonstration project grant for the heating system was provided by the New York State Electric and Gas Corporation. Many other local businesses assisted with donations of building materials or deep discounts on products and services. Restaurants provided food during

328-417: A structure that would serve as home to the Sciencenter. Leathers proposed the Sciencenter be built by members of the community – including businesspersons, secretaries, store clerks, teachers, bricklayers, electricians, university professors, doctors, grandparents, and children. The result would be a science museum that belonged to the entire community, because they had built it. The campaign began in 1990 with

369-701: A team of volunteers, usually over a period of four days. The characteristic feature of Leathers and Associates community playgrounds was a near-exclusive reliance on wood as the building material. Projects ranged in size from schoolyard playgrounds to 1.5-acre community park complexes. Playgrounds often included non-traditional features such as castles, drawbridges, child-sized wooden tunnels, PVC pipe "walkie-talkies," and tire swings, and often incorporated recycled objects, such as telephone poles, tires, and barrels. Communities with Leathers playgrounds from this time period have been faced with concerns over liability issues, inaccessibility for children with disabilities, and

410-437: A typical project cost between $ 10,000 and $ 60,000, with Leathers and Associates receiving $ 1,500 to $ 9,500. Construction was preceded by a planning process during which children in the community were asked to produce essays and drawings expressing their ideas and desires for the new playground. Leathers and Associates would advise and oversee the fundraising and planning process, while actual construction would be accomplished by

451-529: Is a walkable scale model of the Solar System , located in Ithaca, New York . The model scales the entire Solar System—both planet size and distances between them—down to one five billionth of its actual size. The exhibition was originally created in 1997 in memory of Ithaca resident and Cornell Professor Carl Sagan . Consisting of eleven obelisks situated along a 1.18 km (0.73 mi) path through

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492-481: Is an Ithaca -based family-owned playground construction company, best known for having coordinated community-led construction of large wooden playground parks in many towns across the United States during the 1980s and 1990s. Robert ("Bob") Leathers founded Leathers and Associates in the early 1980s after he had coordinated about five playground construction projects in the 1970s, starting with Ithaca. Over

533-596: Is located in the center of the Ithaca Commons , a pedestrian shopping area in the heart of downtown Ithaca. The round window representing the size of the Sun at this station is roughly the size of a basketball and, in this obelisk only, contains no glass. All the subsequent obelisks in the Solar System model have Sun-sized glass windows containing their respective planets for the sake of comparison. The obelisks for

574-668: The Carl Sagan bridge at Adams street to reach the Neptune Obelisk. The Carl Sagan Bridge, built in 2000, features nine circular windows adorned with the signs of the nine planets. The obelisk for Neptune is located just across the bridge in Conley Park. The Planet Walk was conceived and built prior to Pluto losing its planetary status in 2006, and the model includes the Pluto Obelisk, which is located just outside

615-512: The Center Ithaca complex during 1989 and in 1990 closed its exhibit space to focus on the task of building a permanent home. By the fall of 1988, it had become clear the organization would need to find larger and more permanent quarters to remain viable in the long term. Architect Bob Leathers, of Leathers and Associates , nationally known for his innovative community-built playgrounds and Ithaca resident, offered his services to help design

656-576: The City of Ithaca to provide 2,000 square feet (190 m) of program space. In 1996, the City gave this building and the other half of the 600 block of First Street to the Sciencenter for $ 1 following an intense year-long lobbying effort by executive director Charlie Trautmann and Ithaca Common Council member Susan Blumenthal. In 1999, the Sciencenter launched a capital campaign to expand the Sciencenter to 32,000 square feet (3,000 m) to provide additional exhibit and program space, an early childhood area, and

697-565: The Moon 384,500 kilometers (238,900 mi) away. The scaled size of the Sun is given by a 27.8 cm (10.9 in) diameter circular frame repeated at the top of each 6 ft (1.8 m) tall obelisk. Centered within each sun-sized frame, the proportional size of each planet is represented by a small sphere affixed in a glass window. All of the original planet locations were chosen not only for accuracy to scale but also to highlight local landmarks and public spaces within Ithaca. However, since

738-559: The Sagan Planet Walk the world's largest exhibition. Television host and former student of Carl Sagan, Bill Nye , narrated a podcast tour of the Planet Walk in 2006 which can be accessed free by calling 703-637-6237 as you walk through the scale-model representation of the Solar System. The models of the Solar System , in order: The Sagan Planet Walk has inspired the creation of other scale-model Solar Systems in

779-479: The Sciencenter is the outdoor science park, featuring a series of interconnected ramps and structures containing more than two dozen playground-type activities related to physics, engineering, and geology. In 2008, the Science Playground was part of a major outdoor capital improvement project that – in the spirit of past community build events – brought together 275 volunteers from the community to enhance

820-413: The Sciencenter is to cultivate a broad community of curious, confident, critical thinkers. The Sciencenter in Ithaca features 250+ fun, hands-on exhibits, educational programs, an outdoor science playground, a seasonal 18-hole Sciencenter Mini-Golf course, a Tidepool Touch Tank with live marine animals, an animal room, and an area designed for kids ages 4 and under with its own playground. A unique feature of

861-582: The Sciencenter on First street. The model was expanded 7,630 kilometers (4,740 mi) in 2012 to include Alpha Centauri , the star system closest to the Sun. The Alpha Centauri Obelisk is exhibited at the ʻImiloa Astronomy Center at the University of Hawaii in Hilo, Hawaii. The volcanic stone Hawaiian figure representing Alpha Centauri in female form has a 280 millimetres (11 in) semicircle under its chin to represent its scale size. This extension made

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902-652: The Sciencenter, with others coming from exhibition collaboratives who have contracted with the Sciencenter based on its growing reputation in exhibition tour management among small museums. The museum is a member of the Discovery Trail , uniting several of the Ithaca's museums and the Tompkins County Public Library. 42°27′0.2″N 76°30′15.8″W  /  42.450056°N 76.504389°W  / 42.450056; -76.504389 Leathers and Associates Leathers and Associates

943-487: The building periods, as did many individuals. Cornell fundraiser Sherri Bergman, anxious to join the challenge of creating a community-built science center, was hired to help with the project. The cash portion of the campaign was capped with a $ 100,000 challenge grant from the Kresge Foundation. A major commitment to a volunteer-built project was a first for the foundation. Groundbreaking officially took place at

984-504: The corner of Cayuga and Court street, Saturn's obelisk sits outside the former location of the Tompkins County Public Library . The rings of Saturn are clearly visible within the circular window. Visitors continue northward along Cayuga street from Saturn, reaching the obelisk for Uranus just across Cascadilla Creek at the entrance to Thompson Park. From Uranus, visitors follow Willow Avenue northwest and cross

1025-432: The educational programs offered by the museum. Exhibit development was rapid and prolific, and by 1995 a number of exhibits were in storage for lack of display space. Demand for programs continued to grow, additional NSF project grants were in hand, and the staff was twice as large as had been projected in a 1992 pre-construction business plan. To accommodate this growth, the Sciencenter leased an adjacent brick building from

1066-523: The four inner planets are all contained within the commons area stretching north towards Seneca Street. Mercury is situated to scale about 12.7 yards (11.6 meters) away from the Sun, Venus another 10 yards (9.1 meters) away, Earth another 9.3 yards (8.5 meters) away, and Mars another 17.1 yards (15.6 meters) away. This keeps the four inner planets within eyesight of the Sun, yet the representations of each planet appear quite small within their glass windows, and can even be somewhat hard to see. The contrast between

1107-407: The help of volunteers, the Sciencenter organizes a number of free days at the museum and free community events. The museum runs a variety of programs: on-site and off-site, school-based and non-school-based. Educational programs include field trips, after school programs, summer camp, and floor activities. The museum offers education programs for all ages from toddlers through adults. The mission of

1148-416: The local public library. From this group emerged a board of directors, which laid the foundation for the success of the organization. The early Sciencenter was somatic nomadic as its gallery spaces moved among several donated storefronts in downtown Ithaca. The first exhibition space was opened in 1984 at 200 East Buffalo Street, in space donated by Sciarabba Walker and Co. When the Sciencenter had to move, it

1189-519: The mission of the Sciencenter. Key priorities included: growing the annual fund, developing an individual giving program, raising funds for special projects, and growing the Sciencenter endowment. Its Guest Relations and Operations team manages the front desk and operates the Sciencenter store. Volunteers continue to assist with many aspects of the operation, including serving as museum guides, assisting with member services, working on building and grounds maintenance, and delivering educational programs. With

1230-670: The need to meet increasing government safety regulations. At the time when the community playgrounds were being built, the wood being used was routinely treated with chromated copper arsenate, a compound subsequently banned because of the risk of arsenic leakage. Communities have faced expensive costs related to upkeep, restoration, replacement, or disassembly. 42°28′33″N 76°25′49″W  /  42.47576°N 76.43027°W  / 42.47576; -76.43027 Sagan Planet Walk 42°26′23″N 76°29′56″W  /  42.4396966°N 76.498887°W  / 42.4396966; -76.498887 The Sciencenter's Sagan Planet Walk

1271-549: The next couple decades, Leathers and Associates oversaw the construction of over 2,000 playgrounds, mostly in the United States, but also in Israel and Australia. Leathers's playground projects quickly gained national attention. In 1982, The Washington Post called the unique approach to playgrounds a "burgeoning movement." In 1986, construction of two separate Leathers playgrounds were featured in popular PBS children's television programs, one on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and

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1312-535: The only public, unguarded meteorite in the world. The Jupiter Obelisk sits at the corner of Seneca and Cayuga streets, outside the downtown Dewitt Mall, and not far from the famed Moosewood Restaurant . The model of Jupiter within the glass window is the first planet representation on the walk that is easily visible, demonstrating how much bigger than the inner planets it is. To reach the Saturn Obelisk, visitors turn north and continue along Cayuga street. At

1353-422: The original installation of the Planet Walk the public library has moved to a new location, leaving Saturn no longer attached to a local landmark. Additionally, as of 2016-2017, the original planets in plexiglass at each station have been replaced by simple yellow disks with the planet simply represented by a relatively-sized hole. Some attendant moons are now represented by tiny holes in the disks. The Sun Obelisk

1394-632: The other on Sesame Street . In 1989, the Chicago Tribune referred to Bob Leathers as "the guru of contemporary playground design." In later years, Leathers and Associates was faced with growing safety and upkeep complaints concerning their older playgrounds. After Leathers' son Marc took ownership of the company in the 2005, Leathers and Associates transitioned away from an exclusive focus on community building projects and towards paid contract work. The Leathers and Associates community playgrounds were largely paid for by fundraising . In 1989,

1435-634: The park, and other outdoor learning spaces at the museum. In 1997, the Sciencenter opened the Sagan Planet Walk , an outdoor walking scale model of the solar system named in memory of Carl Sagan ., a member of the Sciencenter's advisory board until his death in December 1996. The exhibition is 1,200 meters long and extends from the Commons in downtown Ithaca to the Sciencenter. An audio tour for cell phones and media players, narrated by Bill Nye,

1476-406: The project forward. Under their leadership, the Sciencenter board, staff, and volunteers developed refined architectural plans, formulated a business plan, and laid the groundwork for a $ 1 million fundraising campaign. The proposed building would be about 5,000 square feet (460 m) in area and would have an adjacent outdoor science park. Phase 1 Construction of the Sciencenter was accomplished as

1517-442: The size of the Sun and the size of the inner planets coupled with the visible distance between them illustrate the vastness and emptiness of space. Once leaving the inner planets, a visitor to the Planet Walk turns west along Seneca Street to continue towards Jupiter. Between Mars and Jupiter lies the asteroid belt . The obelisk representing the asteroid belt was added several years after the initial installation. Its display contains

1558-591: The streets of downtown Ithaca, the original Planet Walk leads from the Sun at Center Ithaca to Pluto at the Ithaca Sciencenter . In 2012, the model was expanded 7,630 kilometers (4,740 mi) to include a representation of Alpha Centauri , the Sun's closest neighboring star, at the ʻImiloa Astronomy Center at the University of Hawaii . The addition of the Alpha Centauri Obelisk made it

1599-522: The world's largest exhibition, until the Akaa Solar System Scale Model added Proxima Centauri in 2018 at a distance of 13,370 kilometres (8,310 mi) away from Akaa. In 2014, the inner planets and Sun were removed as part of extensive construction being done to the Ithaca Commons , but have since been replaced. In 2015, a grant was approved to further expand the exhibition by installing an exoplanet Kepler-37d station on

1640-475: Was able to find free space in the old Hickey's Music Store on South Tioga Street. Volunteers built exhibits, a small museum store was added, and schools were invited to bring classes for hands-on programs. From 1986 to 1989, membership and attendance grew, and the base of volunteers expanded. When the Sciencenter was forced to close its Tioga Street site to make way for a new county building, Ithaca Center Associates offered temporary space. The Sciencenter relocated to

1681-640: Was added in 2003, and the Asteroid station, featuring a real meteorite, was added in 2009. In 2018 Augmented Reality features were added to a number of the stations. The Sciencenter's traveling exhibition program took on a national flavor in 1996 with the receipt of a major grant from the National Science Foundation . The Sciencenter was one of five founding members of a national exhibition collaborative for small museums called TEAMS (Traveling Exhibitions At Museums of Science), which received

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