SciTech Hands On Museum | Aurora

SciTech Hands-On Museum was a well-known science and technology museum in Aurora, Illinois, that offered interactive learning experiences focused on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Founded with the mission to inspire interest in science through hands-on exploration, SciTech served families, school groups, and the general public for over 30 years before closing its physical location in 2022.

Founding and Mission

SciTech was established in the late 1980s by Dr. Ernest Malamud, a physicist from Fermilab. He envisioned a place where children and adults could explore scientific concepts not by reading about them, but by physically engaging with them—pushing buttons, building things, experimenting, and playing. The museum was set up in a historic post office building in downtown Aurora at 18 West Benton Street.

Its motto, “Science Playground for the Mind”, captured the essence of what made it special: it was a place to learn by doing.

Exhibits and Attractions

At its peak, SciTech featured over 200 interactive exhibits covering a wide range of scientific principles. These exhibits were designed to spark curiosity and were accessible to children of all ages.

Some highlights included:

Tornado Simulator: Letting visitors step inside a mock vortex to observe and feel the effects of a twister.

Plasma Ball and Van de Graaff Generator: Teaching static electricity through hair-raising demonstrations.

Speed Pitching Booth: Allowing kids to throw a ball and measure its speed with radar.

Newton’s Cradle and Simple Machines: Demonstrating motion, energy, and physics in action.

Laser Harp: A musical instrument that responded to motion, teaching optics and sound waves.

Robotics and Engineering Corners: With build-your-own robot kits and mechanical puzzles.

Space and Planetary Science Exhibits: Including information on astronomy, gravity, and Earth sciences.

Exhibits were rotated and updated frequently to align with school curricula and scientific developments.

Educational Programs

In addition to its exhibits, SciTech offered:

Field Trips: Thousands of students from across Illinois visited each year.

After-school Programs: Focused on robotics, coding, and other STEM skills.

Summer Camps: Week-long sessions in science, math, engineering, robotics, and chemistry.

Birthday Parties and Private Events: STEM-themed celebrations that included lab demos and hands-on experiments.

Special Events: Such as Science Nights, guest speakers from NASA and Fermilab, and STEM career fairs.

SciTech was deeply connected to local schools and worked in partnership with teachers to reinforce STEM learning.

Community Impact

As one of the few science museums in the western suburbs of Chicago, SciTech filled an important gap in informal science education. It attracted families not just from Aurora but from across the Fox Valley region and Chicago metro area. It also provided employment and internship opportunities, particularly for high school and college students pursuing science and education careers.

The museum was a nonprofit organization and relied on a mix of ticket sales, school group bookings, grants, and donations to operate.

Closure of Physical Museum

SciTech closed its doors to the public in March 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. While many institutions gradually reopened, SciTech faced several challenges:

Loss of revenue during the extended closure.

Increased costs of reopening under safety protocols.

Uncertainty in school group attendance, which was a major source of income.

Lease complications: The building was owned by the City of Aurora, which chose not to renew SciTech’s lease in 2022, opting to explore other redevelopment options for the downtown space.

In May 2022, the SciTech board officially announced the permanent closure of its museum location in Aurora.

Transition to a Mobile STEM Program

Rather than shutting down entirely, SciTech reimagined its mission. It relocated its operations to Batavia, Illinois, and shifted focus to mobile and outreach-based STEM programming. Its new initiatives include:

STEMshops: Traveling science labs that bring hands-on activities to schools, libraries, and community centers.

STEM Adventures Summer Camps: Week-long programs held in partner locations across the region.

Pop-up Science Events: At local festivals, schools, and public spaces.

The restructured organization continues to serve the Fox Valley and greater Chicagoland area, fulfilling its educational mission without the need for a permanent museum facility.

Current Status and Contact

SciTech is now a nonprofit mobile STEM education provider. Its programs can be scheduled by schools, community groups, and event organizers. They continue to inspire kids to ask questions, solve problems, and explore the world through science.

Summary

While the physical SciTech Hands-On Museum no longer exists in downtown Aurora, its legacy lives on. Through mobile programs and a renewed commitment to STEM education, SciTech continues to make science accessible, engaging, and fun for the next generation of curious minds.