On July 11, 1998, after many years and lots of hard work, a dedicated group of community leaders, government officials, and generous donors made it possible for McWane Science Center to open in downtown Birmingham, Alabama. At the time of our opening, there was very little successful business downtown. In fact, the buildings around us were dilapidated and abandoned. McWane Science Center was to become the cornerstone of growth for our community using modern city planning recommendations as our justification. Now, we are over 23 years old, and we have served over 7,500,000 people since our opening.

The community around us looks much different today than it did when we opened. The success of our science center helped drive the growth from which our community now benefits, and we are proud of the role we have played in the development of downtown Birmingham. You can help us to continue changing lives through science and wonder with a generous donation today! You can make a difference in our community!

Your donation for McWane Science Center's 23rd birthday will go to support the costs of providing dynamic science education experiences to low-income, underrepresented students through our Education Scholarship Fund.