McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center
McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center
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 Location within New Hampshire
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| Location | Concord, New Hampshire |
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| Coordinates | 43°13′28″N 71°31′59″W / 43.224583°N 71.533184°W |
| Type | Science museum |
| Collection size | Planetarium, replica Mercury-Redstone Launch Vehicle |
| Visitors | 50,000 annually |
| Director | Jeanne Gerulskis |
| President | Paul A. Burkett, Esq. |
| Curator | Dr. Kimberly Duncan |
| Public transit access | Concord Area Transport |
| Website | www |
The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center is a science museum located in Concord, New Hampshire, United States, next door to the NHTI campus. The museum is dedicated to Christa McAuliffe, the Concord High School social studies teacher selected by NASA out of over 11,000 applicants to be the first Teacher in Space, and Alan Shepard, the Derry, New Hampshire, native and Navy test pilot who became the first American in space and one of only twelve human beings to walk on the Moon. The Discovery Center's mission is to inspire every generation to reach for the stars, through engaging, artful and entertaining activities that explore astronomy, aviation, earth and space science.
The 45,000-square-foot (4,200 m2) McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center offers 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) of interactive science and engineering exhibits, outdoor exhibits including a full-sized replica of a Mercury-Redstone rocket, a full-dome digital planetarium, an observatory, science store, café, portable digital planetarium and a full complement of on- and off-site educational programs.
The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center began as a stand-alone planetarium serving as the official State of New Hampshire memorial to Christa McAuliffe. Opening in June 1990 as the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium, in 2001 it became the official state memorial to Admiral Alan Shepard as well. In 2009, the organization more than quadrupled in size when it added a science museum focused on astronomy, aviation, earth and space science; it was renamed the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center. The grand opening was on March 6, 2009.
After 22 years as a State of New Hampshire agency, on January 1, 2013, the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center separated from the state and became a private sector nonprofit operation. The State of New Hampshire retained ownership of the facility and grounds, but engaged in a long term lease with the new nonprofit operator, the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center Corporation.
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