SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity (MOSAC) is one of the Sacramento region’s most exciting educational destinations, inspiring learners of all ages and providing a foundation for future STEM professionals. As the region’s premier science center, MOSAC features more than 100 exhibits, a planetarium, an engineering design challenge, maker workshops, and much more.
“Our philosophy in building this facility was to tackle global issues through a local lens, so our exhibits inspire visitors to see the connection between their world and the world at large,” says Executive Director Andrea Durham. “We want people to understand how what’s happening locally is part of what’s happening globally.” Overarching themes for MOSAC’s exhibits include Health, Nature, Energy, Water, Climate Change, Engineering and Space Exploration.
MOSAC exhibits and programming are designed to be hands-on and interactive. “It’s a misconception that hands-on museums are for kids — experiential learning is for adults, too,” explains Durham. “We serve 25,000 school kids on field trips annually, but we estimate that 25 percent of our visitors are adults without children, so our programming is geared to all ages.”
One of MOSAC’S most interactive offerings is their Design Lab Maker Workshops, in which participants sign up for a multi-week program where they can explore and innovate using tools and hightech equipment such as laser cutters and 3D printers.
“Our philosophy in building this facility was to tackle global issues through a local lens, so our exhibits inspire visitors to see the connection between their world and the world at large.” — Andrea Durham Executive Director
“We invite the public to visit and purchase memberships, STEM professionals as volunteers to inspire the next generation of innovators, universities in search of research grants to partner with us, and businesses to sponsor our programming and make use of our rental space to host team building events,” Durham says. “We’re also launching a series of fundraising events in 2024 that will really put the fun in fundraising, and we encourage everyone to watch for details to come.”
