Science Center of Pinellas

The Science Center of Pinellas County (SCPC) is an educational center and science museum in Saint Petersburg, Florida, USA. It occupies seven acres of land located on 22nd Avenue North, in West Saint Petersburg, located right by the Tyrone Mall.

History

The Science Center of Pinellas County is a non-profit organization founded in St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1959, by William Guild and Nell Rodgers Croley. It was the first science center of its kind, and it operates on donations and grants. Its mission is to inspire interest in and understand of all sciences.

In 1966 the present main building was completed. Today about 22,000 children visit the building each school year during field trips. The Science Center frequently works with the Pinellas County schools, and all summer camp classes and science camps taught at the Science Center meet FCAT guidelines. In 1961 the Cooperative Classroom Extension Program (CEP) began. Science Center teachers are now able to bring animals from the Science Center to nursing homes and preschools for education or therapy.

In 2007, the Science Center decided to extend visiting hours and it is now open to the public year-round Monday through Friday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is $5 per person.

Exhibits

Animal Room

In 2000 the Animal Life Room was renovated. The Animal Room is home to many exciting animal species such as an owl, snakes, spiders, mice, rabbits, guinea pigs, African Bullfrogs, ferrets, prairie dogs, Monkey Tailed Skinks, Bearded Dragons, a Savannah monitor and many others that visitors can meet up close and personal. In 2000 the Animal Life Room was renovated. Outside of the Animal Room are dozens of displays including an extensive displays about minerals, fossils, and meteorites.

African-American Scientists and Inventors

In 1996 the "Discoveries by African-American Scientists and Inventors" exhibit opened. The exhibit highlights contributions of African-American scientists and inventors from the 1800s to the present and the impact they have made on our everyday lives. Highlights from the exhibit include: the origin of heart surgery and glaucoma treatment, everything about George Washington Carver, the first player piano and the origins of the postal stamp.

Alligators

The ever-youthful alligators Sawgrass and Cypress are always on exhibit at the Science Center. The young gators are on display indoors near the entrance of the center to allow people to see living American Alligators. Sawgrass and Cypress are on loan from Gatorland in Orlando. When they outgrow the Science Center alligator tank they will go home to Gatorland and their young siblings will get to visit the Science Center in their place.

Margaret Ewell Dickins Marine Exhibit

In 2000 the Margaret Ewell Dickins Marine Room opened. The exhibit includes numerous aquariums filled with interesting marine creatures like a snowflake moray and a black sea bass. The most popular feature in the room is a 500-gallon touch tank where visitors can touch stingrays, flounder, starfish, horseshoe crabs, guitarfish, slipper lobsters, hermit crabs and sea urchins. This room is open to the public during self-guided tours. In addition, the Science Center holds marine biology classes for children in this room during science summer camps and school breaks.

Observatory

In 1997 the Carol Samuels Observatory opened. The observatory provides visitors with a view of cosmic events and features through a 16-inch Meade telescope. The research-grade telescope is the only one available to the public in Pinellas County in a non-university setting. The Saint Petersburg Astronomy club holds a handful of events at the Science Center throughout the year, and helps the public use the Meade Telescope to view comets, eclipses, or planets.

Replica 16th Century Native American Village

In 1999 the replica 16th Century Indian Village opened. The village gives visitors a chance to see life as it was in Tampa Bay during the 16th century. Self-guided audio tours are available and describe the following replicas: Temple Mound, Shaman’s Hut, and cooking site.

White Gardens

The idea for the White Gardens came from Starley M. White, Chairman of the Board of the former National Bank. Surrounding the White Gardens is a "Walk of States", a mosaic tile walkway made up of more than 50 sections, one section for each state in the United States. A segment of the walk is dedicated to the Seminole tribe and Andrew Jackson. Each of the 50 states are displayed in order of their admission into the union. The walkway shows an image of the state, including the state's bird and flower. Beside each state's tile walk the state's rock is on display. The Walk of States was created by St. Petersburg artist Attillio Puglisi. It was moved to the Science Center of Pinellas in 1971.

Wetlands

There is an outdoors wetlands exhibit. The exhibit features plants and animals typical of Florida wetlands. There is a small path to work through and around the wetlands with descriptions of the trees and plants throughout. Also right next to the wetlands is a playground with a picnic area.

Planetarium

In 1971 the Discovery Center was built. This building houses the Columbia Planetarium. In 2003 the Spirit of Columbia Theater and Planetarium opened. The Planetarium offers a showing daily which is included in the $5 admission fee. The Science Center's digital planetarium is the only one available to the public in Pinellas County. It can show the sky as it was on any specific date in history and when the Center is rented out for birthday parties or anniversaries, it is often set to show the night sky as it appeared the night someone was married or born.

Optical lab

The Science Center houses the only optical lab for grinding your own telescope mirrors in the southeastern United States. The lab is run by the St. Petersburg Astronomy Club. The club welcomes the public to visit the optical lab on Saturdays between 1p.m. and 4p.m. for the purpose of building a homemade telescope, from scratch.

Gift shop

There is a large gift shop featuring reptile and space-themed toys. There is also a large book selection with titles that will interest kids and adults alike.

Bay News 9 Project Weather Classroom

[http://www.baynews9.com/ProjectWeather.html Bay News 9 Project Weather] Weather classes are taught in the Bay News 9 sponsored weather classroom. Bay News 9 meteorologists assist with some of the classes. The classroom has a weather sensor and radar.

External links

* [http://www.sciencecenterofpinellas.com/index.html Official website]
* [http://www.telescopelab.com/ Optical lab]