Liberty Science Center


Liberty Science Center is an interactive science museum and learning center located in Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States. At its opening, it was the largest such planetarium in the Western Hemisphere and the world's fourth largest.
The center, which opened in 1993 as New Jersey's first major state science museum, has science exhibits, numerous educational resources, and the original Hoberman sphere, a silver, computer-driven engineering artwork designed by Chuck Hoberman.

History

Liberty Science Center completed a 22-month, $109 million expansion and renewal project on July 19, 2007. The expansion added to the facility, bringing it to nearly.
In December 2017, the Science Center opened the Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium, a 400-seat facility with a dome in diameter and an diameter screen, named for the benefactor who contributed $5 million towards the cost of construction. Larger than New York City's Hayden Planetarium, at its opening, it was the largest such planetarium in the Western Hemisphere and the world's fourth largest.
In November 2025, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority awarded up to $39.8 million in tax credits over five years through its Cultural Arts Facilities Expansion program. The project, known as Project Supernova, will include a major expansion to the museum and add several outdoor exhibits and amenities, including:
Liberty Science Center's permanent exhibitions include:

1st Floor

As of November 2025, Liberty Science Center's temporary exhibits include:

Educational

The museum offers various educational sessions for school-age students from PreK-12 during field trips, featuring different educational sessions at various exhibits throughout the museum. The museum features the Center for Learning and Teaching, which contains laboratory workshops designed for student sessions. Other student sessions include the Maker & Tech studio focused around programming and tech, a live surgical session, climate change programs, planetarium shows, a Science on a Sphere session, as well as additional early childhood programs. The museum also features stage shows for students grades PreK-8, which consists of live-action demonstrations. The museum also allows homeschool co-ops and are able to bring lecturers to schools.
The Liberty Science Center also offers professional development sessions for teachers and schools to learn more about STEM subjects.
During the summer, Liberty Science Center offers the Partners in Science program, an 8-week summer high school STEM mentorship for rising high school juniors and seniors. There is also the Pathways to Partners in Science program, a two-week program intended for rising sophomores.

Events

Liberty Science Center's "LSC After Dark" is an 18+ event hosted on some Thursdays from 6-10PM. Each event features a different theme with a matching food menu, dance floor, live DJ, a full bar, and planetarium and laser shows, as well as Space Talk sessions with guest astronomers in the planetarium.
The museum offer Community Evenings, which consists of free visitations for parents and students from qualifying school districts, which largely consists of disadvantaged municipalities.
The BASF's Kids' Lab is an interactive chemistry exhibit for children.
During the summers, Liberty Science Center has a Science Camp, which consists of weekly multi-day events for children between grades 1-8.
The museum offers Scouts programming to help scouts earn badges, as well as special scout-only sessions periodically throughout the year.

Other Amenities

In the lobby, there is a first aid and information desk, the box office, lockers, and the gift shop. On the second floor, dining options include the Cosmic Cafe, a cafeteria open to the general public, Galaxy Grab and Go, a vending machine room, and a group dining room for organized groups.

Jennifer Chalsty Center for Science Learning and Teaching

In July 2007, the Jennifer Chalsty Center for Science Learning and Teaching opened. It is a facility extending over the entire former Invention Floor of Liberty Science Center, with six laboratories, a 150-seat theater, and other resources for teachers and students. Educators can upgrade science teaching skills and find peers to help strengthen science instruction in the classroom, while students can participate in intense, multi-day or single-hour programs to ignite interest and skills in science exploration.
Planetarium shows include:
In 2019 LSC was in negotiation with Jersey City to receive for a nominal fee city-owned land which would be developed as an educational and residential area called Sci Tech Scity. Phase one of the project is scheduled to open in late 2023 and into early 2024.