2025 at the Saint Louis Science Center was a year celebrating science, innovation, curiosity, and wonder. As we kick off 2026, we’re taking a look back at some of the highlights our members, donors, and supporters have helped us achieve.
January 2025
USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards
In January 2025, the Saint Louis Science Center was once again nominated for the USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards—and in three categories this year: Best Planetarium, Best Free Museum, and Best Science Museum. With voting conducted by USA Today readers and other contributors throughout the following weeks, in mid-February the Science Center placed in the Top 5 in these awards—including the #1 ranking for Best Planetarium, #2 for Best Free Museum and #5 for Best Science Museum.
February 2025
SciFest: Engineering Expo
February’s SciFest: Engineering Expo built a bridge between more than 4,400 guests at the Science Center and more than 370 STEM experts and professionals during this free, all-day event, made possible thanks to the Boeing Company. Guests explored the STEM and creative problem solving of engineering in its many forms and got to see and meet working professionals to find inspiration for a new question, challenge, or career.
March 2025
EV Experience
The EV Experience returned in March for a second year, filling the Science Center with hands-on activities, electric vehicles in Boeing Hall, and informative presentations. Thanks to the generous support of Ameren Missouri and St. Louis Area BMW Centers, we created a weekend of automotive excitement, featuring connections with experts and behind-the-wheel test drives of these next-generation vehicles.
April 2025
Weather Day at Busch Stadium
This April, we were proud to once again take part in Weather Day at Busch Stadium, helping kids and families better understand the science behind weather phenomena with the help of the Saint Louis Cardinals and FOX 2 meteorologists. Attendees watched an hourlong show with Science Center educators, weather experts, and other special guests who explained the hows and whys of common weather events like cloud formations, hot and cold fronts, hail, and more.
May 2025
Loeb Prize 30th Anniversary
In May, the Science Center’s Loeb Prize celebrated 30 years of recognizing excellence in teaching science and mathematics. In a ceremony inside the McDonnell Planetarium, program founder Carol B. Loeb and Science Center President and CEO Ray Vandiver awarded Pattonville High School science teacher Amy Schwendemann with the 30th Carol B. and Jerome T. Loeb Prize for Excellence in Teaching Science and Mathematics.
June 2025
100 Years of Quantum Mechanics
The Science Center celebrated 100 Years of Quantum Mechanics at a panel event moderated by the Science Center’s Dr. Becky Thompson, Chief of Science and Education. Inside the McDonnell Planetarium’s Orthwein StarBay, attendees gathered to hear from panelists Rahul Deshpande of Mastercard; Matthew Lew of WashU; and Dr. Ray Vandiver, President and CEO of the Science Center, as they discussed the theoretical, educational, and practical aspects of quantum mechanics, or the physics of the ultra-small.
July 2025
Science Center Up Late! Experience Sound
At Experience Sound, the sold-out debut of our new Science Center Up Late series designed specifically for the 21+ crowd, we explored the science of sound with over 1,100 people, as well as partners from across St. Louis who showed off their audio prowess. With activities spread across the Science Center campus, attendees could immerse themselves in STEM with everything from quantum disco dancing to a flame-filled demonstration of sound waves at Energy Stage.
August 2025
SciFest: Play and Creativity Expo
Welcoming more than 5,500 people, August’s SciFest: Play and Creativity Expo showed that STEM exploration and imaginative discovery go hand-in-hand. Made possible thanks to the generous support of BJC HeathCare and Spry Digital, the free all-day event hosted nearly 60 organizations to help guests explore the powerful connections between play, innovation, and 21st century skills.
September 2025
Science on the Move: CHROME Lab Tour
In the second of our new Science on the Move series of events exclusively for Einstein Society members, we went behind-the-scenes at Saint Louis University’s CHROME (Collaborative Haptics, Robotics, and Mechatronics) Lab in September. Welcomed by Science Center Board of Trustees member Dr. Jenna Gorlewicz, who leads the CHROME Lab, the guests got to meet students working in the lab and see their innovative projects up close.
October 2025
WONDER: A Quantum Blast!
Science Center supporters came together in October for an evening of transformative leaps, surprising connections, and a chain reaction of generosity. Emceed by KMOV First Alert 4’s Cory Stark and featuring a showstopper science demonstration from Dr. Mark Wrighton, Chair of the Science Center’s Board of Commissioners, WONDER: A Quantum Blast offered cocktails and hands-on interactives like laser oscilloscopes, ultraviolet bubbles, thermal imaging cameras, and more, ultimately raising more than $366,000 in support of our work.
November 2025
Sci-FEAST
The popular Sci-FEAST event—part of the SciFest series of STEM expos—returned for the second year, thanks to the support of Presenting Sponsor BJC HealthCare and Supporting Sponsors Nestlé Purina PetCare and St. Luke’s. The free day welcomed nearly 2,500 people to get a taste of the science in food and nutrition and connect with more than 170 on-site STEM experts and professionals.
December 2025
Member Appreciation Night
At our annual Member Appreciation Night, we welcomed Science Center members for an exclusive evening in recognition and celebration of their support for our mission to inspire everyone to be curious and engaged in science. Attendees could engage their curiosity with hands-on STEM activities, fun photo opportunities, and more. Science Center President and CEO Ray Vandiver even held a special campfire singalong at the Energy Stage.
Thank you to everyone who helped make 2025 at the Science Center a success! We look forward to sharing the wonder and joy of science with everyone in 2026 and beyond!
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