Explorit Science Center

Explorit Nature Center (formerly called the Mace Park Branch) Explorit's former location on 2nd Street (2006-2010)

General Information Recent History: Summer Science Camps and Facebook 2011 Recent History: Explorit Looking Forward in 2011 History Explorit celebrates 25th anniversary in 2007 Explorit's Expansion 2810 Chiles Road in 1991 (now called Cowell Blvd.) West Davis Intermediate School around 1988 525 C Street in 1983 Past Exhibits Pictures Also See

General Information

Explorit Science Center is a non-profit organization committed to the mission: to involve people in science experiences that touch our lives. It's a great place to visit with your family and friends for hands-on science fun. Popular public events include the Family Exploration programs which often feature guest scientists from the community. Week-long summer day camps and birthday parties with hands-on science themes are popular programs just for children. Explorit also organized a monthly public science lecture series held at the Davis Branch Library. It had featured notables such as Paul Moller.

At its main site, Explorit Nature Center (formerly called the Mace Park Branch) located at 3141 5th street hosts school field trips on weekday mornings. Teachers can choose from Discovery Lessons, Discovery Labs, Nature Labs and Nature Safaris. In the wider region, Explorit also has extensive mobile programs which serve elementary schools and community sites within 18 counties in the greater Sacramento area. These traveling programs include Classroom Adventures, School wide Science Assembly Programs, after-school Young Scientist Series programs, family science nights such as Science in Your World and Health in Your World. The Explorit Nature Center has The Science Mosaic Bench out front.

Recent History: Summer Science Camps and Facebook 2011

Explorit will be offering Summer Science Camps for 2011. Lottery registration ends April 15 and open registration begins May 2. Open registration is first come, first served. Explorit has also joined the Facebook community as well.

Recent History: Explorit Looking Forward in 2011

January 30th 2011, was the last time Explorit Science Center offered regular public access at its 2nd Street location. Due to a 15-25% drop funding to non-profits and a 14% annual drop in donations, Explorit had to make the painful decision to close the 2nd street location and lay off all but three paid employees. The center's temporary closure will affect programs such as Classroom Adventures, Science Assembly Programs, Young Scientist Series after school programs, and Family Science Nights. Schools who want to visit Explorit may still be able to - please call. The current Exhibition, Forces of Nature, is open on the first full weekend of each month. See the Explorit Calendar on its website for other activity. It is unknown when regular public access to the 5th street location will be completely restored. Explorit's official response can be found http://www.explorit.org/lookingforward and http://www.explorit.org/news/explorit-yes-were-open-and-planning-for-an-exciting-future

Time has passed and the programs listed above are not yet fully available at the 3141 5th Street location but going forward in 2012 exciting plans are afoot for new programs - stay tuned!

History

Explorit celebrates 25th anniversary in 2007

To celebrate its 25th anniversary, Explorit hosted a hands-on family science festival on April 28, 2007. The free public event took place at both Explorit’s main facility, 2801 Second Street, and at the Mace Park Branch, 3141 Fifth Street. Visitors took a trip back in time to see how Explorit has grown and changed since its founding in 1982 and tried out some favorite science activities from the past 25 years. Special events at the festival included the unveiling of the “Give Explorit a Hand” donor wall and the dedication of Standing Wave, an outdoor science-art sculpture by local artist Chris Daubert. Later this year, Explorit will be planning a reunion gathering for the many staff, trustees and volunteers who have contributed to the Center's growth and success since 1982.

Explorit's Expansion

After several years of planning and fundraising to expand its facilities, in spring 2006 Explorit publicly announced its plans to expand into the south side of the Davis Indoor Sports Center building. This new site opened to the public on September 23, 2006 and was celebrated with a Grand Opening Festival on October 14, 2006. The facility features hands-on exhibits, a Discovery Room, a Microscope Nook, a Wet Lab, an Animal Alcove and more. Additional galleries and exhibit spaces will be phased in over the next year at the site. This 2801 2nd Street site is now Explorit's primary public location. The old location, the Explorit Nature Center at 3151 5th Street, continues to be used by Explorit for school field trips focused on nature themes that utilize the surrounding park, as the main site for summer day camps and as the hub for Explorit's outreach programs. More information is available at the Explorit website. Before Explorit was in its Mace Ranch location, it was at 2828 Cowell Boulevard, where there was a large mural of a head with long, wild hair. This building now has offices for the UC Davis Bookstore, and has a mural of the Aggie Logo. When Explorit was there in the early 1990's the road was called Chiles Road.

In February of 2010 they were on the evening news saying that they were $600,000 short on a balloon payment that would come due in August. There was talk about teaming up with another science museum in the Sacramento area to get funding. However, the teaming was not a feasible option and so Explorit relinquished the building to its lender and is now functioning from its facility in Mace Ranch Community Park at 3141 5th Street that has been its home-base since 1992. The recession affected Explorit very drastically (as it has many nonprofits) and the Center is working hard to rebuild its original vigor and services to Davis, Yolo County and the Greater Sacramento Region. The Explorit Board is passionate about the Center's informal science mission and welcomes inquiries about its progress.

2810 Chiles Road in 1991 (now called Cowell Blvd.)

West Davis Intermediate School around 1988

525 C Street in 1983

Past Exhibits

• A dollhouse with solar panels electrically engineered by Mark Chang and sponsored by Talbott Solar.

Does anybody have photos of the old or new mural, or the old explorit on Cowell? (Cowell Blvd was called Chiles Road when Explorit was functioning in that space next to The Printer in 1990)

Pictures

Bugs

Inside Examining corn

Also See

Also see museums and exhibits.

Comments:

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2004-08-12 15:21:54   I attended their 2004 Perseid viewing, and while I only caught the tail end of the Explorit organized part, I had a really nice time. The location was near perfect — far, far West Davis (so far that it was actually in the Outskirts of town) — and the sky was crystal clear. They had telescopes and neon-glowing lights set up, but they were closing up shop as we got there (around 1AM). —PhilipNeustrom

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2007-01-02 14:23:28   They finally got a paved parking lot, that was the big project for ever and a day. I also have tons of fond memories as an inquisitive little kiddie running around explorit —StevenDaubert

please note this is for old explorit ie Mace Ranch

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2007-04-29 11:26:00   lawl, the Davisites can start calling the new explorit just that, hahahah. I have many fond memories of going to the "Mace Ranch branch" when I was young —StevenDaubert

Man, the real old explorit is on Cowell. Don't you remember that mural of the person with the hair? —NickSchmalenberger

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2010-02-02 22:37:39   Looking down from the 2nd floor to the library below is fun! —LeeY