We're excited to feature the Exploreum Science Center as June's Partner of the Month! Known for its hands-on exhibits and educational programming, the Exploreum is a favorite spot for sparking curiosity and interests in visitors of all ages. With a variety of experiments and community events, the Exploreum truly makes learning a blast. Join us for a special Q&A with Exploreum Science Center's Director of Marketing, Josh Holland!
Q: When did the Exploreum Science Center open?
A: We opened at our current downtown Mobile location in 1998. Prior to that we were located on Springhill Avenue on the Bragg Mitchell Mansion grounds. That original location opened in 1983.
Q: What services does your business offer?
A: We host traveling exhibits throughout the year as well as in-house and permanent exhibits. We are also home to the PCI Digital Dome Theater (formerly IMAX). In addition, we have award winning Academies throughout the year so students can come to us and continue to explore science and have fun during breaks in the school year. Also offered are birthday parties, special events, rental space, and much more!
Q: What do you enjoy most about your job?
A: We all love bringing STEM education to students all along the Gulf Coast and partnering with local STEM oriented businesses and organizations to further our mission statement. We are also very proud of a long history of bringing award winning traveling exhibits to the Mobile area.
Q: What is the Exploreum Science Center known for?
A: Our traveling exhibits and our unique PCI Digital Dome Theater (formerly IMAX).
Q: Do you have any specific hashtags or catchphrases for your business?
A: #exploreumsciencecenter #STEMEducation #ScienceIsMagic
Q: How do you enjoy spending your free time?
A: We all have a variety of outside hobbies from sports to gaming, travel and outdoor activities, music and art, as well as volunteering and other acts of continued community service. Another favorite pastime is visiting other museums and science centers around the country and find ways to bring new and fresh ideas back to Mobile and adapting them in our own unique way.
Q: Share a fond memory from your time at the Exploreum Science Center
A: Wow! There are COUNTLESS memories. Way too many to pick one. Honestly, our favorite thing is hearing parents talk about how they used to come to the Exploreum when they were younger and now they are bringing their kids (and sometimes grandkids). Becoming a generation destination for Mobilians has to be one of our proudest things we have accomplished.
Q: What makes the Exploreum unique?
A: So many things make us unique. Our PCI Digital Dome Theater is only about one of 50 of its kind in the WORLD. Our traveling exhibits have always been a very unique and exciting part of what we bring to the local area. Some of our special events like Noon Years are very unique as well as our year round Academy offerings.
Q: What do you think makes Mobile unique?
A: Another loaded, but great question. The people of Mobile first and foremost. It is a very diverse group of wonderful humans from a very colorful landscape. Food, music, and of course, Mardi Gras. Being on the cusp of America’s Amazon is such an exciting thing as well in terms of our interest in science. The same can be said for being a port city and seeing that right across the river. That is a great talking point amongst school groups when they visit.
Q: What has been your most meaningful accomplishment so far?
A: Being a multi-generational destination for families and school field trips all along the Gulf Coast. That continued legacy is one of our proudest accomplishments.
Q: Fun fact that people might not know about your business!
A: We have had visitors from every single state in the United States and dozens upon dozens of other countries come through our doors. From China to Australia and all over the world, we have had guests from almost every where.
Q: Tell us about the ongoing Cuba exhibit.
A: ¡Cuba! is a beautifully done exhibit that we are incredibly excited to be hosting and retiring here in Mobile, Havana’s sister city. Cuba is a place of exceptional biodiversity and cultural richness, and now a new bilingual exhibition will offer visitors fresh insights into this island nation just 94 miles from Florida’s shores. With a close look at Cuba’s unique natural history, including its native species, highly diverse ecosystems, and geology, ¡Cuba! also explores Cuba’s history, traditions, and contemporary Cuban voices to inspire novel perspectives on this dynamic country.
Q: What is your favorite fact or feature from the Cuba exhibit?
A: We love talking about the biodiversity of Cuba and how a little over 20% of the entire country is protected lands. That is something very relatable to us living here on the Gulf Coast seeing as our biodiversity is very unique and important to highlight and preserve. Another VERY important element is that this is our first completely bilingual exhibit. This opens up accessibly to residents with English as their second language and adds an additional element of interdisciplinary education to the exhibit.
