Museum & Science Center
Hours:
Monday–Saturday: 9am–5pm
Sunday: 11am–5pm
Admission:
$13 adults, $12 seniors and college students with ID, $11 ages 3–18, free for children under 3 and RMSC members.
Strasenburgh Planetarium
Hours and Admission: See show schedule
Museum and Planetarium Combined Admission:
$17 adults, $15 seniors and college students with ID, $14 ages 3-18
Cumming Nature Center
Hours:
Wednesday–Friday: 9am–3:30pm; Saturday–Sunday: 9am–4:30pm
Admission:
RMSC members free; General public requested donation—$3 per person; $10 per family.
3rd ROC Café
Hours:
Monday–Saturday: 10am–3pm
Sunday: 11am–3pm
Museum Special Events
657 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607
Unless otherwise noted, programs are located at RMSC and are free with museum admission
Science Alive
Through Friday, September 2
Sponsored by M&T Bank, Corning Incorporated Foundation and Time Warner Cable
Fiery explosions, foolish physics, take-home activities—it’s non-stop action every day at RMSC. Marvel at experiments performed by our extreme demonstrators and get hands-on with Earth, space and everything in between with activities involving the fascinating principles of science, technology, engineering and math. Engage in amazing experiences with the whole family. Encounter the things, and people, that make science spring to life!
Mayhem Mondays: 1pm and 3pm
Start the week off with a bang…literally! See wild explosions including bursts of musical lightning in Electricity Theater.
Take Away Tuesdays: 1pm and 3pm
Make it and take it! Explore hands-on science through exciting activities where you make creations and bring them home.
Worldwide Wednesdays: 1pm and 3pm
Take a trip to the moon, investigate currents to solve a mystery, or examine the largest magnet using a stunning 3-D data projection system during special Science On a Sphere presentations.
Thinker Thursdays: 1pm and 3pm
“From flour to flower,” come explore our city through the stories of the engineers, architects and industries that helped Rochester make history.
Foolish Fridays: 1pm and 3pm
The sky is falling! No, it’s just a watermelon. See drops, flops and other fun physics in action as we toss items from the Strasenburgh Planetarium tower.
Electricity Theater
Musical lightning powered by twin Tesla coils zaps across the dark theater.
Presentations every day: 12pm, 2pm, 4pm
Science Encounters
Try your hand at fun science experiments with RMSC staff and volunteers in exhibit galleries.
Saturdays, Sundays and School Breaks: 10:15am, 11:15am, 12:15pm, 1:15pm, 2:15pm and 3:15pm
Science On a Sphere® Presentations
Presentations Saturdays & Sundays: 11:30am and 1:30pm, plus Wednesdays 1pm and 3pm
Engage in the wonders of our planet and beyond as you experience scientific data in three dimensions on our giant globe. See Earth and the universe in a whole new way through stunning projections of atmospheric storms, climate change, planetary activity and ocean temperature.
Show times are subject to change. Call 585.697.1942 to confirm. To request an interpreter for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, please call at least two weeks in advance: 585.697.1942.
Live Animal Shows with Wildlife Defenders
Wednesdays through August 31: 12:30 and 2:30pm
The Wildlife Defenders are back for the summer! Enjoy their fun and informative live animal presentations in the Bausch Auditorium. In the past, our friends at Wildlife Defenders have wowed us with dingoes, kangaroos, porcupines, opossums and more. Join us each week to see what animals they have in store for us this summer.
SustainABLE and Building with Biology Days
Wednesday, August 24 and Thursday, August 25: 11am–3pm
Double-header event! If you like our Nano Days activities, you’re going to love SustainABLE and Building with Biology Days. Join us at the museum for a chance to discover sustainable science practices and explore the wonders of synthetic biology. Through hands-on activities and demonstrations, learn about both biologically engineered product innovations and responsible sustainable solutions to some of the major global challenges we face today.
Simulator Rides
Enjoy special limited-time only simulator rides throughout the year. Most* special rides are $1 per person (members included). Visitors can enjoy the Lake Ontario ride daily for free.
Kid Coaster
Take a wild ride on a toy coaster through a child’s bedroom. Come face to face with toy soldiers, aliens and more.
August: Daily
Hurricane Simulator
Experience the power of 75mph hurricane-force winds! Several people can experience at the same time for the price of one simulation. *$2 charge per simulation (members included).
Daily
Summer Fun Camps
Through Friday, August 26
Sign up! Explore the excitement of science and discovery from backyard finds to outer space wonders. Dig into forensics, animal biology and more. Camps run weekly, Monday-Friday, for ages 2-15.
EXHIBITS:
Science On a Sphere
Sponsored by Harris Beach PLLC and O’Connell Electric Company
Engage in the wonders of our planet and beyond as you experience scientific data in three dimensions on our giant globe. See Earth and the universe in a whole new way through stunning projections of atmospheric storms, climate change, planetary activity and ocean temperature.
Illumination: The World of Light and Optics
Experiment with lasers, lenses and mirrors as you explore the nature of light and optics. Immerse yourself in more than fifteen hands-on exhibits that demonstrate exciting scientific concepts including reflection and refraction, radio waves and color temperature. Crank, spin and illuminate to make light bend, sound emanate and shadows dance. Spark a passion for science within as you discover the true wonders of light.
Electricity Theater
Featuring “singing” Tesla coils, Electricity Theater is a display of brilliant lightning zaps accompanied by popular music. Visitors watch the dark theater become splashed with light via twin solid-state Tesla coils, and allow that spark in them to ignite as they explore the excitement of electricity and all that goes with it.
The American Civil War: The Impact of the Industrial Revolution
Industry and new technologies had a huge impact on the military during the Civil War. Learn how the railroad, telegraph, photography and other advancements influenced the war. Discover unique items on display including rifles, military equipment, diaries and uniforms worn by local soldiers.
Inventor Center
Open every day from 10am-4:30pm
Supporting Sponsors: G.W. Lisk Company, Inc. and Xerox Foundation; Made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services
Power cities, build cars, harness wind and fire catapults. Dive into a hands-on exploration of the inventive process. Participate in engineering and design challenges as you tinker with raw materials to create working inventions that can be tested and shared. Challenges change every 3-5 months.
- Current challenge: Operation Vehicle—Build a vehicle that can climb over hills to deliver supplies to people trapped in the mountain pass.
Nano Mini-Exhibit
Imagine and discover a world you can’t see! Get the family together and become engaged in the world of nanoscale science, engineering and technology. Hands-on exhibits present the basics of nano, introduce real-world applications and explore the implications of this new technology.
Erie Canal Lock
Crank open lock doors and operate a tugboat. Get hands-on insights into how canal locks work in the real world.
KEVA Planks
Come build with us! Construct wooden masterpieces of all shapes and sizes with KEVA Planks, a building exhibit experience. Precision cut, identical construction blocks, KEVA Planks stack with surprising stability. Using only gravity, visitors dabble with physics in order to achieve balance, optimum proportion and strength.
Under Construction: Building Careers
Founding Supporters: Builders Exchange of Rochester, Max & Marian Farash Charitable Foundation, UNICON, John W. Danforth Company, LeChase Construction Services, LLC, Manning Squires Hennig Company, Inc. and O’Connell Electric Company
Drill into an exciting hands-on exploration of construction trades. Built in-house by RMSC staff, the exhibition features the fascinating jobs of electricians, plumbers and other trade specialists. Maneuver a giant crane on the “job site,” install plumbing for a sink and much more. Also, learn from local trade professionals who built the Sustainability Institute Hall, home of the Golisano Institute for Sustainability on campus at RIT.
Energy Trail
Support from: AVANGRID Foundation/RG&E
Built in-house by RMSC staff and volunteers, Energy Trail is a multi-sensory, highly physical experience where YOU hold the power. Compare types of energy. Cycle, push and pump to create power and discover the outcome. Complete the trail, which covers all three floors of the RMSC, and win a prize! Don’t forget to collect it at the front desk.
AdventureZone
Dive to the bottom of Lake Ontario in the Deep Submergence Vehicle simulator. Test your strength on the Genesee Gorge climbing wall. Explore Rochester weather. Experiment with wind currents, stream erosion and more.
Expedition Earth
Explore your connections to the natural world in this spectacular, interactive natural science exhibition. Discover how our region’s landscape and life forms have changed over hundreds of millions of years. See a full-size mounted mastodon skeleton, uncover bones in the dig site, enter a glacial ice cave and much more.
How Things Work
Discover the science behind everyday devices. Through fun, hands-on investigation, find out how mechanisms such as light switches, thermostats and traffic signals work.
Raceways
Discover the principles of moving objects. Experiment with momentum, friction, gravity and acceleration as you send wooden balls looping and racing over ramps.
Flight to Freedom: Rochester’s Underground Railroad
Presented with support from the City of Rochester and the Underground Railroad Heritage Trail, a program of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Explore stories of courageous African Americans who traveled through Rochester on their way from slavery to freedom. Find out about local people who helped them.
At the Western Door
The hundreds of objects displayed show the Seneca’s and Haudenosaunee’s creative responses to new technologies and materials introduced following European contact. Clan and family continue to bind communities together and define who the Seneca and Haudenosaunee are.
The Rochester Business Hall of Fame
Presented by the RMSC in partnership with Junior Achievement of Rochester and the Rochester Business Journal. Sponsored by Bank of America
This interactive exhibit celebrates exemplary Rochester leaders who have made outstanding, enduring contributions to business and community in the greater Rochester region.
Strasenburgh Planetarium
657 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607
Weekends & Evenings: 585.697.1945 | Weekdays: 585.697.1942
Shows subject to change
Giant-Screen Films
Admission: adults $7; seniors and college students with ID $6; ages 3–18 $6; RMSC members $3, children under 3 free. Children under 5 years old are admitted to daytime shows only.
Giant-screen films on Wednesdays and Saturdays include open captioning on the screen with support from the Theatre Development Fund TAP Plus program, in cooperation with the New York State Council on the Arts.
“To Fly”
Length: 45 min. For all ages.
Find thrills in a classic journey through the history of flight, from early balloon flights to 20th-century space missions. Produced in 1976 for the opening of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, where it still inspires crowds today.
Show times: www.rmsc.org/StrasenburghPlanetarium
Star Shows
Admission: adults $7; seniors and college students $6; ages 3–18 $6; RMSC members and children under 3 free.
“Animals in the Sky”
Length: 40 min. For ages 3 to 6 and the adults with them.
Find animal shapes in the clouds and constellations in a story on the indoor sky. Dogs, a swan, an eagle, a lion and a whale! On an imaginary trip to the moon, we find no animals— they are all living on Earth.
Show times: www.rmsc.org/StrasenburghPlanetarium
“Other Worlds Like Ours”
Length: 60 min. For ages 6 years to adult.
Are there solar systems around other stars? Do these systems have planets like Earth? Real discoveries are pouring in. Most stars probably have planets, and we seem closer than ever to finding a planet like Earth. Show times: www.rmsc.org/StrasenburghPlanetarium
“The Sky Tonight”
Length: 30 min. For ages 5 years to adult.
This concise tour of the stars, constellations and planets in the current sky uses new, solid-state lasers to guide you through the magnificent starfield produced by the 46-year-old star projector. See this show, then step outside to see the real sky.
Show times: www.rmsc.org/StrasenburghPlanetarium
“My Planets”
Length: 40 min. For children ages 3–5 and the adults with them.
Especially for young children, this friendly introduction to the Planetarium features worlds in our solar system as they appear in the sky and through a telescope.
Show times: www.rmsc.org/StrasenburghPlanetarium
Saturday Night Laser Shows
Sponsored by City Newspaper
Thanks to its pure wavelengths, laser light provides an intense color sensation whether faint or dazzlingly bright. Our solid-state lasers put brighter and more intense color than ever before among the stars inside the Planetarium dome, accompanying great songs on a top-quality sound system.
August Shows
Radiohead Laser Saturdays at 8:15pm | Pink Floyd Laser Saturdays at 9:30pm
Length: 60 minutes each. Children under age 5 are not admitted to this show.
Admission for ONE show: adults $7; seniors, college students, students ages 5–18, RMSC members $6.
Admission for BOTH shows, back-to-back: adults $11; seniors, college students, students ages 5–18, RMSC members $9.
Cumming Nature Center
6472 Gulick Road, Naples, NY 14512
585.374.6160
Hours: Trails open five days a week: Wednesday through Friday, 9am–3:30pm; Saturday and Sunday, 9am–4:30pm (closed Monday and Tuesday).
Admission: RMSC members free; General public donation requested—$3 per person; $10 per family.
Build a Fairy House
Saturday, August 6: 11am–12:30pm
Guaranteed dirty hands as kids of all ages learn how to construct a fairy house using natural materials. Bring your own camera to commemorate your construction because the houses stay behind and become hidden gems of the Cumming Nature Center (CNC).
Secrets of Lilliput
Saturday, August 13: 10–11:30am
Take a hike in the woods, search for pixie cups and tiny British soldiers and run your fingers through a miniature forest. Hold tiny earthworms and bugs. Plan on getting dirty!
Focus on Ferns
Saturday, August 20:10am–12pm
Come explore CNC’s impressive abundance of ferns and find out why only mythical protagonists know where to find the elusive fern flower and seed!
Walk on the Wild Side
Saturday, August 27: 11am–12:30pm
Traipse through streams, scramble through the underbrush and leap over logs as we head off the beaten path for a peek at CNC’s most secluded expanses.
Rochester Museum & Science Center (RMSC) includes the Science Museum, Strasenburgh Planetarium and Cumming Nature Center. Offering experiences at the Museum with more than 200 interactive exhibits, Planetarium with a 65-foot dome and Nature Center on 900 acres, the RMSC stimulates community interest in exploration. In addition, the more than 1.2 million RMSC collection items tell the story of Rochester’s past including its rich history of innovation and invention. RMSC receives major funding from Monroe County, where it is one of the top three most visited attractions serving children and families. For more information about RMSC, visit www.rmsc.org. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.
