FAIRFIELD, Conn.—The Sacred Heart University Discovery Science Center & Planetarium (formerly the Discovery Museum & Planetarium) will begin a phased-in reopening in June with brand new and updated exhibits, a more immersive planetarium and state-of-the-art facilities. In the meantime, the center continues to offer virtual programs.
Renovations have been ongoing since the University assumed operation of the Bridgeport museum in January. The museum, situated at 4450 Park Ave., has a 62-year history of providing educational experiences in science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) to young learners through programs that inspire wonder and ignite creativity.
The center closed a year ago when the coronavirus forced nearly everything to shut down, but soon it will reopen in phases as the pandemic and the renovation schedule allow. Plans call for the center to open for summer programs, and the public can make reservations to visit the Henry B. duPont III Planetarium as well. School groups can resume visits in September, when limited public admission also will begin. Then, on a date to be determined, the center will reopen fully, with special admission rates for members and no-cost admission days for Bridgeport residents.
“We stand firm on our commitment to Bridgeport,” said Michael Alfano, dean of SHU’s Isabelle Farrington College of Education. “We want to increase the community’s access to the center.”
For years, the former Discovery Museum & Planetarium promoted STEAM programs and access to education for all. “The Sacred Heart University Discovery Science Center & Planetarium continues to stand firmly behind that commitment,” said Erika Eng, executive director of the center. She noted that educational opportunities continued to be available even during the pandemic, including virtual programs such as STEAM activities, science demonstrations and tutorials for at-home experiments.
When construction is done
“The Discovery Science Center & Planetarium will be completely reimagined,” said Eng, who has worked at the center since 2016. “We’ll still be 100% interactive and focus on experiential learning and immersion. Every aspect of the center will be updated, from our exhibits to our restroom facilities.”
Visitors can look forward to a new aurora wall–a heat-sensitive, interactive exhibit that changes colors when guests stand in front of it and move around. “The colors vary as the wall senses heat,” Eng said. The center also is bringing back an interactive kiosk, which will allow guests to interact directly with a popular exhibit that Eng referred to as “Science on a Sphere.”
Thanks to software and technology updates, visitors will find an even more immersive planetarium. New software called Digistar 7 provides the planetarium with cutting-edge technology used by NASA. From their seats, visitors will see stars, the rings on Saturn, and other wonders of the universe. “These are actual images from satellites and telescopes, so the technology will immerse guests in actual, true-to-life surroundings, bringing people to real places,” Eng said.
Bridgeport resident David Mestre is the center’s new project coordinator. Mestre will work with Alfano to involve SHU’s faculty, students, staff and others in the science center and planetarium. With more than 20 years of planetarium experience, Mestre said he has seen how interactive exhibits can turn audiences from viewers into interstellar explorers.
“As we embrace the ever-advancing changes in technology, I see how being on the forefront of technological advances can transform audience experiences, invite critical thinking and reimagine the science storytelling capabilities of museums and science centers,” said Mestre.
“The biggest project I see before us is getting to that moment when the doors of the Sacred Heart University Discovery Science Center & Planetarium open to take our audiences on a journey into the future, into the possible and even into the unknown,” he said. “What we know and why we know it is driven by humanity’s innate curiosity, and our SHU Discovery Science Center is a place where kindred spirits can come to explore and discover together.”
SHU’s involvement
Most of the University’s colleges are involved with the center in some aspect. Students in all majors can benefit from the collaboration, Alfano said. Business students can learn from the center’s operation; education students can strengthen their teaching skills; media students will have endless visual opportunities; and other students will find their own, unique way to interact with the center. “We’re just getting started, and we envision endless possibilities for student involvement,” Mestre said.
The science center offers young students experiences they wouldn’t normally have because their schools are not equipped with the necessary faculty or labs. Eng said Discovery provides those resources and pointed out that “learning is doing.”
“Discovery gives the community hands-on experiences. We support what our schoolteachers are doing in the classroom. All our lessons align with their curriculum, so we take what they are teaching, let the students experience their lessons hands-on and see an outcome in real time,” she said. Because school children are actually performing the experiments, they will remember the concepts for life, she added.
Alfano is excited about the learning experiences that will take place at the center. “There is a synergy here,” he said. “Two separate entities have come together to create a stronger outcome–a science center and planetarium that are state-of-the-art. The reinvigorated center will continue to serve and meet the needs of the community at new levels.”
Because SHU assumed museum operations, all donations to the center go directly to Discovery programs. To donate and learn more about a virtual fundraiser sponsored by Morgan Stanley on March 25, visit the center’s webpage.
“Sacred Heart and Discovery have rich histories and missions that include giving back and supporting the community. This is a natural partnership,” Alfano said.
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About Sacred Heart University
As the second-largest independent Catholic university in New England, and one of the fastest-growing in the U.S., Sacred Heart University is a national leader in shaping higher education for the 21st century. SHU offers more than 80 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs on its Fairfield, Conn., campus. Sacred Heart also has satellites in Connecticut, Luxembourg and Ireland and offers online programs. More than 9,000 students attend the University’s nine colleges and schools: Arts & Sciences; Communication, Media & the Arts; Social Work; Computer Science & Engineering; Health Professions; the Isabelle Farrington College of Education; the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology; the Dr. Susan L. Davis, R.N., & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing; and St. Vincent’s College. Sacred Heart stands out from other Catholic institutions as it was established and led by laity. The contemporary Catholic university is rooted in the rich Catholic intellectual tradition and the liberal arts, and at the same time cultivates students to be forward thinkers who enact change—in their own lives, professions and in their communities. The Princeton Review includes SHU in its Best 386 Colleges–2021 Edition, “Best in the Northeast” and Best Business Schools–2021 Edition. Sacred Heart is home to the award-winning, NPR-affiliated radio station, WSHU, a Division I athletics program and an impressive performing arts program that includes choir, band, dance and theatre. www.sacredheart.edu