OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The highly anticipated wait for the Omaha Riverfront’s newest attraction comes to an end this weekend. As the Kiewit Luminarium, a next-generation science center, opens its doors to the public this Saturday, April 15.
With well over 100 interactive exhibits, the Luminarium is sure to provide everyone of all ages the opportunity to get out, learn, play and explore.
“From a curious seven-year-old to a 75-year-old with a Nobel laureate in physics, there are open-ended experiences framing up real natural phenomena, and very importantly, putting the learner at the center,” CEO Silva Raker said.
Raker says the goal is to give everyone in the community a sense of confidence as a learner, to heighten curiosity, and notice things in the world differently.
“You’re not having a filtered, someone telling you what something is. You’re actually having a direct experience which is a different kind of learning," she said.
“But the other thing is having a place where we can actually interact with other humans and build those social skills. Which, being a part of a strong team means knowing how to work and play well together.”
The project started in 2018 and is based on the Exploratorium in San Francisco.
That’s where Raker came from. She says the investment in the community and the diversity is what brought her to Omaha.
Her hope is to bring that diversity to the science center, and give the entire community access to explore STEM.
“We have a beautiful building, we have incredible exhibits, but it doesn’t really happen until you get here. We make this together. Which will absolutely serve the goal is diverse workforce development," Raker said.
"We have big chunks of our population that are not engaged. So, let's get them in the mix but on their terms. Be relevant, be engaging, co-create with them.”
The Luminarium will officially open at 11 a.m. Saturday, following an opening ceremony at 10:30 a.m.
For more information and to buy tickets ahead of your visit, click here.
