Our Story

The history of the Rockville Science Center begins with the 1989 establishment of the Rockville Consortium for Science. The Consortium's creation was driven by a group of science and tech professionals living in Rockville who were interested in providing more science education opportunities to the city’s residents. From its earliest inception, the mission of the consortium was to:
•    Increase science literacy in the general public
•    Encourage young people to develop and maintain their

      natural interest in science
•    Help people understand the scientific principles underlying

     environmental concerns, technological development & global systems
•    Establish a science center that will serve as an educational resource

     for the public

As a foundational goal of the Consortium, the vision of the Science Center is now 30 years old. Our earliest detailed proposal can be traced back to the start of the 21st century in the year 2000. That year, the Consortium presented its first proposal for the creation of a Science Center.

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The progress on planning the Science Center continued through the 2000s and by the year 2006, the consortium had published an almost 100 page report outlining the feasibility of establishing a science center in Rockville complete with analysis of our community, comparisons and inspirations from other science centers around the country, and funding projections during our inception.

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Through goodwill from the county and community support, the Rockville Science Center was incorporated in 2009. Supported by the City of Rockville and our parent consortium, we began our journey. Although the consortium no longer exists, we remain as a testament and torch bearer to their hard work and vision for science education in the City of Rockville. Since then, we have been a growing staple in the Rockville Community, our flagship event of the year, Rockville Science Day sees more than 3,000 visitors and 90 exhibitors engage in science education interaction each year in April. We have served hundreds of lifelong learners through our regular seminar series, Science Tuesdays and Science Cafe, and have inspired multitudes of children and teens to pursue the sciences as a profession.