Long Island Explorium

The Long Island Explorium seeks to support and develop the next generation of creative thinkers and problem solvers.  Our curriculum, exhibits and educational approach are unique by design, developed to spark inventive solutions, build confidence by embracing the “fail forward” concept and foster teamwork through hands-on workshops and activities that pose challenges with multiple outcomes or solutions.  Because of this focus on creativity and innovation, the Explorium is recognized as Long Island’s Family Maker Space, a place for families to play, create, build and grow together.  In March 2018, the Maritime Explorium was renamed the Long Island Explorium, to better reflect the reach and diversity of our programs. In May of 2005, the Explorium was designated as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit and was chartered with the New York State Department of Education.  The Explorium is a New York State certified provider of Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) credits.

Many people don’t think of museums as making social change in communities, but the Long Island Explorium is playing a vital role on Long Island as a lighthouse of enriching STEAM programs that foster inventive thinking and serves as a catalyst for empowerment . Founded in 2004, The Long Island explorium is a special place that  is extremely important to our community, region, schools and families because it  touches so many lives. The minute a visitor steps into our museum, they enter a world of possibilities, wonder, creativity and joy. There is no “sweeter” sound than a crying child refusing to leave the Explorium at the end of their visit.  When we bring our enrichment programs to underserved, under-represented communities on Long and beyond, we ignite their curiosity, drive their imagination and remove barriers that perpetuate the gender and minority stereotypes of who can be successful in STEM. 

Prior to COVID, we welcomed over 10,000 visitors annually, and those children and their families were engaged in smart science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM) learning – all while playing and laughing and connecting socially.  We are proud of our setting, but the Explorium is more than a place.  It is a way of learning and living. The Explorium illustrates the idea that people learn best through minds-on experiences and reflection on those experiences. That is why we offer school-based programs that reach another 3,000 students annually, as we conduct professional development training for scores of educators on how to lead inquiry-rich, experiential classrooms. We help people of all ages who come to us thinking that science is boring, or math is hard, or art is easy, or tech is for geeks or engineering is for boys – and we help them realize that we are all lifelong STEAM citizens living, playing and working in our STEAM world. That is why we proudly produce the annual Maker Faire Long Island that has welcomed over 5,000 visitors in the past five years.

Although the Explorium has been closed since March 2020, we  continue to contribute to the well-being of our community by offering interactive online learning for students whose schools have closed and by communicating evidence-based science to the public. Science centers & museums are among the nation’s most trusted institutions. This work is critical for making evidence-based decisions & navigating crises like COVID 19. The pandemic has  clearly shown why it’s so important to build community science literacy as understanding the science behind the virus will lead to better support for science based preventive measures.