Cleaning Week at ScienceWorks

It’s been a big week behind the scenes at ScienceWorks. From October 1 to 5, the museum was closed to the public for our annual Cleaning Week — a time when our staff, with the assistance of our intrepid volunteers, roll up their sleeves to make sure everything is in top shape for another year of building, exploring, and playing.

This year, Cleaning Week was packed with projects. Our team continued work on the Subterranean Science exhibit, giving the display cases some finishing touches before mounting them in place. Around the museum, every surface got a good scrub and touch-up, and a few spots even got a fresh coat of paint. The carpets and theatre chairs are freshly cleaned, and everything feels crisp and renewed.

We also turned our attention to the behind-the-scenes essentials, like our education supply closets. Those got completely emptied, sorted, and restocked so we’re ready for a full calendar of field trips and camps this year. There’s something deeply satisfying about knowing every bin, box, and microscope slide is right where it should be.

Amidst all the scrubbing and organizing, we also took two days to focus on something just as important: our strategic planning process, Full STEAM Ahead. We reviewed hundreds of comments and ideas gathered from our community interviews, reflecting on what you’ve shared about your hopes for ScienceWorks. Using that feedback, we began shaping goals for the museum’s future, from improving how we serve our community, to creating a more stable, sustainable financial foundation. We’re so grateful to everyone who’s taken the time to share their ideas with us, and especially to the many local leaders who joined us during our summit.

It’s been a tremendously invigorating week for all of us. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made, inside and out, and we can’t wait to welcome you back to a cleaner, brighter, and more inspired ScienceWorks.

Come see what’s new — the doors are open, and curiosity is waiting!