THREE FLOORS OF DYNAMIC EXHIBITS
The EcoTarium’s museum building features three floors of hands-on, interactive exhibits that explore the natural and physical sciences and our New England environment.
Each year, the museum welcomes dynamic traveling exhibits, as well as houses permanent installations that make creative use of the museum’s natural history collection and living wildlife.
Our exhibits make learning fun and are designed to engage a family audience.
Lift Off! Space Explorers
Step into a world where science, imagination, and innovation take flight!Lift Off! Space Explorers invites visitors of all ages to explore the wonders of space through hands-on activities, immersive environments, and the inspiring human stories behind space exploration. From launching rockets to gazing into distant galaxies, every corner of the exhibit sparks curiosity and shows how discovery is powered by creativity, collaboration, and STEM.
What You’ll Experience
Rocket Lab: Ready, Set, Launch! – Build your own rocket by choosing its payload and stages—then test if it has enough thrust to reach space.
Gyroscopes in Action – Explore how gyroscopes help spacecraft navigate without fuel. Then, try your hand at tilting and spinning to see physics at work.
The Evolution of Rockets – Travel through time from Robert Goddard’s groundbreaking 1926 rocket to today’s powerful machines that carry satellites, telescopes, and astronauts into the unknown.
Launch Director Challenge – Step into mission control and see if you can coordinate all the moving parts of a successful rocket launch—every decision matters!
Looking at Space – Experiment with telescopes and light to uncover the hidden layers of the universe. Track how gravity shapes light, bend beams, and learn how scientists study the cosmos.
The People Behind Space Missions – Discover the inspiring scientists, engineers, and dreamers who pushed boundaries, overcame challenges, and changed how we understand our universe.
Interactive Night Sky – Journey across the cosmos as you explore how light-years measure the unimaginable distances of space. Look back in time as you trace starlight that has traveled for centuries to reach your eyes.
Full Dome Alden Planetarium – Immerse yourself in a full-dome flight into space through one of eight films available in the Alden Digital Planetarium. Experience the wonders of the universe with state-of-the-art laser technology on the only full-dome planetarium in Central Massachusetts!
Why It Matters
Lift Off! Space Explorers is designed to ignite your curiosity, deepen your understanding of astronomy, physics, and engineering, and inspire you to see yourself as part of humanity’s journey to the stars. You will leave with new knowledge of the universe, a sense of wonder at the power of science, and the belief that discovery is within your reach—whether as a future scientist or as a lifelong explorer.
Come explore space science right here at the EcoTarium. The universe is waiting for YOU.
Lift Off! Space Exploration was made possible through a collaborative partnership between the EcoTeam, Perch Design Studio, an interactive exhibit design firm based in Portland, Maine, and Panoptic Design Company. This project was made possible through NASA Grantee funding, with the support of the U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey, and U.S. Congressman James P. McGovern, who championed and secured funding for this exciting new exhibit.
The material contained in this exhibit is based upon work supported by a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) grant or cooperative agreement. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of NASA.