PRESS RELEASE
The New York Hall Of Science Re-opens
Generous Support Enabled NYSCI to reopen while continuing to rebuild from Hurricane Ida damage following Pandemic Closure
Focus on The Happiness Experiment, a new interactive exhibit on the science behind resilience
Queens, NY – February 19, 2022 – The New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) today re-opened its doors to the public, welcoming back New Yorkers of all ages to experience new science exhibits and delight in favorites among its permanent exhibitions.
NYSCI’s re-opening featured its marquee new exhibit – The Happiness Experiment – which was created during the COVID-19 pandemic and explores the neuroscience behind resilience. The Happiness Experiment creates an immersive experience that asks visitors to examine what happiness means and how we can have greater control over our own happiness even in the face of challenges.
The Happiness Experiment ran for just seven weeks before Hurricane Ida forced the NYSCI to close due to significant water damage. NYSCI had previously been closed for nearly 16 months during the pandemic during which staff created new exhibits, experiences, and facilities improvements. Thanks to the outpouring of support and generosity of donors, organizations, and community leaders, NYSCI has been able to restore damage to its street level interior while continuing to rebuild the most severely impacted areas of the facility.
We are thrilled to welcome back families, teachers, students, and New Yorkers of all ages to NYSCI. There couldn’t be a better time to be inspired by science. Now more than ever we need to learn about critical problem solving and resilience in the face of enormous challenges,” said NYSCI’s President and CEO Margaret Honey. “We are especially proud of NYSCI’s exhibit, The Happiness Project, which explores the neuroscience behind resilience as another way NYSCI can offer meaningful experiences for all visitors. None of this would be possible without the tremendous generosity from our donors, sponsor organizations, Board Members, and community leaders who helped us navigate challenges from the pandemic to Hurricane Ida, and we are incredibly grateful for their support.
Generous support to make this reopening possible was provided by the Amazin’ Mets Foundation, the American Chemical Society New York Section, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Citi Foundation, the Countess Moira Foundation, Google.org, The JPB Foundation, the Seidenberg Family Foundation, Science Sandbox, an initiative of the Simons Foundation, the Carson Family Charitable Trust, the Pinkerton Foundation, and the Siegel Family Endowment.
NYSCI will follow the COVID-19 protocols established by the CDC and the New York City Department of Health. Masks will be required for all staff and visitors 2 and older, and visitors age 5 and older must present proof of vaccination. In addition, hand sanitizer stations throughout the building and timed ticketing will further contribute to our visitors’ safety. Air handling and filtration systems at NYSCI were upgraded to meet or exceed federal standards. All NYSCI staff is fully vaccinated.
About NYSCI
The mission of the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) is to nurture generations of passionate learners, critical thinkers and active citizens through an approach called Design, Make, Play. Design, Make, Play emphasizes open-ended exploration, imaginative learning and personal relevance, resulting in deep engagement and delight in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. NYSCI was founded at the 1964-65 World’s Fair and has evolved into a local, global and impactful center for interactive science:
- 500,000 annual visitors.
- 1 million learners worldwide use NYSCI’s digital products.
- 3,000 local teachers participate in professional development each year.
- 1,000 high-school and college students benefit from mentoring opportunities in STEM fields every year.
- 95 percent of the more than 4,000 young people participating in NYSCI’s Science Career Ladder program over the last three decades have gone on to college.
- 70 percent of the Science Career Ladder alumni work in STEM fields.
For more information, visit nysci.org.
Follow NYSCI on Twitter and Instagram: @nysci, and on Facebook at: facebook.com/nysci.
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CONTACT
NYSCI Press. press@nysci.org
