Handle With Care presented by The Ron and Lydia Harrington Family Foundation
Now Open!
A new, immersive, 2,000-square-foot early childhood exhibit designed especially for kids ages 8 and younger is now open at the Science Center! Handle With Care is designed to support early experiences with empathy and engineering for the Science Center’s youngest guests.
“This exhibit was designed with expertise on opportunities for young learners to experience engineering principles, as well as studies on the importance of developing empathy skills for our youngest learners,” said Science Center President & CEO Kirsten Ellenbogen. “The result is a space where young children and their caregivers will explore a playful learning space that emphasizes the importance of helping others, and the opportunities to do that with science, technology, engineering, and math.”
The new permanent gallery incorporates STEM learning and fundamental engineering principles while fostering empathy and creativity through imaginative play. As guests enter Handle With Care, they will have the opportunity to create a personalized care package for a loved one. After assembling their care package, guests can head over to the warehouse and distribution area where they can explore a three-tiered climbing structure, sit in the driver’s seat of a scale model forklift, and manipulate their package through a 10-foot-tall pulley and conveyor belt system. Finally, guests can deliver their care package to an imaginative play neighborhood complete with houses, apartments and a package delivery truck. The Science Center’s littlest visitors will particularly enjoy the small park area that is designed for infants.
Handle With Care is one of the projects made possible by the Science Center’s ongoing Force For Tomorrow campaign, which aims to raise $25 million for revitalizing exhibits, expanding transformative programs and growing the museum’s endowment. Leading the effort on Handle With Care is a gift from the Ron and Lydia Harrington Family Foundation with additional support from the Reinberger Foundation, PNC Foundation, Carol A. Barnak, Rosanne Druian, the Nancy Andrews Foundation, the Joan. P Wenk Charitable Foundation, Zest Pediatrics, the Stocker Foundation and Medical Mutual.
Ongoing innovations to the Science Phenomena gallery on the Science Center’s second floor will include a new water technology exhibit, slated to open in 2027.
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