Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology: A Look Back to 2005

                       Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology: 
                                    Science Meets Entertainment (The MOST)

                                                            January 2005

Preface
          Steve Karon, the Founding Director, and Ann Nagle, Education Director, hosted a visit in 2005 for an exploratory study on disability in science museums in the US. Since that time, Steve, who began with the storefront downtown prior to the Armory location, has retired and Ann has recently passed away. Larry Letterman, new President joined us for the visit. I am entering on this blog a few highlights from the visit.

The MOST
         MOST has an impressive website today, as one of Syracuse, New York's Top Ten Tourist Destinations, featuring the IMAX Bristol OMNI theater movies (launch of an Australian film), the birthday parties (camp'ins and star labs), the planetarium (only one in the region), the scaled up hands on storefront touch and feel exhibits (core of Science and Technology Museums from Chicago to Toronto), private events and showings (press and media events), the traveling science museum, and the then new climbing walls, computer space exploration, and environmental displays.

Status and Location
         From the storefront days on downtown Clinton Street (the Discovery Center, founded in 1979), where I joined Steve and Ann in hosting and educating judges for the Syracuse Science Congress, the move to the central Armory in 1992 is quite impressive. The two story high banner featured sponsors Excellus Blue Care and Niagara Mohawk (now National Grid) with the themes of Hands on Science First and Something New Always to Discover. The water structure-like brick building path features a sculptured blue horse, and a winding ramp up to the main entrance. The Armory is the center of the new downtown economic development (Armory Square) and was designated in 1984 on the Register of Historic Places. The Museum now hosts over 800,000 visitors to its programs.

Permanent and On Floor Exhibits
      Four school buses were at the museum at the time of the visit, and the visit was self-guided with museum guides available throughout the museum.  The exhibits samples included: liquid nitrogen demonstration with explanation of polymers and Newton's Laws, helicopter lego sandbox, food and nutrition exhibit, computer/telecommunications room (Mars planetary science), motion simulator and parachute drop, bubblemakers, body systems display (E.g., circulatory, skeletal), brains and their functions, Onondaga Lake environmental cleanup, original astronaut footage, tetonic display, Madagscar cockroaches on loan, DNA and chromosomes, and live animal displays (E.g., bats, reptiles), among others. [Evaluation: could use review for height and sensory and communication, but generally very accessible and open spaces. Siding a bit more on entertainment than science. Available loaner wheelchair, information cards and closed captioning, and willingness to Braille.]

Other Features
      Gift store, with dinosaur relics, railroads, and astronaut liquid candy, among others, with a volunteer staff. Small indoor cafe with fine dining nearby, including Provisions (operated behind the scenes in the mental health field). IMAX sports a "six-story high dome screen and 11,500 of sound through 44 surround speakers" with an accessible elevator to the theater.

Note on Corporate Sponsorships
     Today, the Museum forges corporate sponsors, foundations, corporate underwriting of events, individual involvement, and community partnerships. For example, the Onondaga Lake display sponsors included: Syracuse City School District, Upstate Freshwater Institute, Onondaga Lake Cleanup Corporation, State University of New York, Syracuse University, and Innovative Engineering and Technology.

Museum's Role in Science Education and Women
     Ann Nagle explained that her son is a physicist and she knows that field remains short on women with more in areas such as biology. Their goal is to make science accessible and have some fun with science. Major initiatives such as Women in Science exhibits, promoting Engineering with Women, were not noted, though market research is being done at the museum (E.g., niche marketing in Spanish or Hispanic; State Fair; newspaper coverage and advertising trade dollars).

Membership
     They developed a two person living in the same house membership which could be a single mother and child, or two single adults living together (versus family definition). Schools may obtain a subsidy for needs based admissions.

Note on Tourism and Economic Development
     The MOST is on the Board of the Armory Square Association (Tony Ortega), and works closely with the Chamber of Commerce, and the Convention and Visitors' Bureau. The Museum is part of the historic Walton tract according to the internet website.

Note on Media Involvement
   Ann Nagle was a Member of Women in Communications and the Press Club.  Radio station WIXT has been a "fabulous media partner". and Clear Channels supported the VIP preview of the Australian film (E.g., Foster's beer, cheeses and crackers). IMAX movies are listed in the Stars Section of the Sunday Post Standard.

Annual Gala
        Savoring Sciences with an international cuisine features Armory Square restauranteer Methin "Max"Chutinthranond at $200 per person and $350 per couple or $1,750 per table. The cuisine is from the Carribbean, Mediterranean, and Pacific Rim, including Vietnamese, Thai and Indo-Chinese.

Regional Science Fair
      Regional, five county science fair is still a big event with about 400 junior high and high school students. They have hundreds of volunteers which used to be strongly from Syracuse University's College of Environmental Sciences. 

Traveling Science Program
    Live science demonstrations for audiences of 50-150 people at 3 in 45 minutes for $90.00. Star Labs included Zoo in the Sky, Sky Fall Colors, Creatures of the Night, and Seasonal Star Watch for $100 for the first show. Science programs are also held at Harborfest and other community events.

For more information, contact: Julie Ann Racino, Community and Policy Studies, 208 Henry Street, Rome, New York 13440-6506 USA.