Museum of Science unveils plan for major renovation

Local News

“The Public Science Common will be common ground for everyone interested in science and technology.”

The Museum of Science this week announced plans for a “major renovation and reinvention” with the creation of a “Public Science Common.”

The museum announced the project on Tuesday, describing the new common as a space that will connect the public to the city’s scientific community. Bloomberg Philanthropies is the lead funding behind the project, according to the museum.�

“The Public Science Common will allow us to lead the world in an exciting new direction for engaging the public with science,” Tim Ritchie, president of the Museum of Science, said in a statement. “The Public Science Common will be common ground for everyone interested in science and technology. It will be a place for people to bring their ideas and hopes, questions, and doubts. It will be a place where industry, academia, government, and the public can think out loud and solve problems together.”

According to the museum, the new common will serve as the central hub for three new centers for public science learning: the Center for Life Sciences, the Center for the Environment, and the Center for Space Sciences.�

The Public Science Common will be used by the centers for “conversations, lectures, ideas festivals, student competitions, digitally enabled events, and more,” according to the institution.

The space will be built within the museum’s current footprint, replacing the existing Cahners Theater to offer a 10,000-square-feet for a flexible, multimedia venue that will be able to accommodate 700 people and offer 270-degree views of the Charles River.

The museum said that, as part of the project, there will also be renovations to improve accessibility and work towards the museum’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2035.

Construction for the plan is expected to start this year, with the completion date set for 2026, according to the museum.�