Fixed Board Room
| Maximum Capacity: 18
State of the art Board Room with full AV capabilities and outdoor patio overlooking Downtown Des Moines.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Conference
Capacity: 18 People
Brick by Brick pairs giant LEGO®-built structures with hands-on building challenges to showcase how architects and engineers push the limits of design to make the seemingly impossible possible.
Exhibit stations and building challenges let you:
Build and test structures to withstand earthquakes and heavy winds.
Explore unconventional LEGO building techniques to solve design challenges.
Walk on a sturdy I-beam to feel its strength.
Use simple machines and engineering to lift your friends - or yourself!
And more!
See 10 spectacular LEGO models constructed by LEGO Certified Professional Adam Reed Tucker:
Burj Khalifa - the tallest building in the world
Cinderella's Castle - built to withstand Florida's 100-mile-per-hour hurricane winds
Fallingwater - Frank Lloyd Wright residence considered the "best all-time work of American architecture"
The Gateway Arch - the tallest memorial in the U.S., which is built in a catenary curve
Golden Gate Bridge - built to withstand both wind and earthquakes
Great Pyramid of Giza - the oldest and most intact Wonder of the Ancient World
Hoover Dam - one of America's Seven Modern Civil Engineering Wonders
One World Trade Center - the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere
Ping An Finance Center - China's tallest building
Roman Colosseum - the largest amphitheater ever built
PLUS, a 75,000-brick model of the Science Center of Iowa, created by the Iowa LEGO Users Group!
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Imagine, experiment and play in this experience platform designed for SCI's youngest explorers.
Tour around Toddler Town
Leave your mark on the giant pin screen
Get your groceries from the Fareway market
Prepare a healthy meal in the kitchen
Create giant bubbles in Bubble Bay
Located on SCI’s Main Level.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Zoology, meteorology and geology converge inside SCI’s Upper Level experience platform What On Earth? to showcase all walks of life across the state of Iowa:
Come face-to-face with all kinds of native cold-blooded critters
Explore Iowa's native habitats: the prairie, marsh, forest and cave
Make leaf rubbings from different types of Iowa trees
Share, trade and display your best finds from nature in the Collectors' Corner
WHO-HD Weather Studio
Also inside What on Earth?, become a TV star in the WHO-HD Weather Studio where Channel 13 meteorologists broadcast the weather live from SCI each weekday at noon (weather permitting). When the shots aren’t live, try your hand at forecasting weather in front of the green screen!
Located on SCI’s Upper Level.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Get physical with science inside SCI’s Upper Level experience platform When Things Get Moving! In this popular hands-on area, you can:
Build and launch your own paper rocket
Maneuver a ball through a giant wall of pulleys, levers and gears
Tackle the ultimate domino obstacle course
Work together to build a freestanding arch
Located on SCI’s Upper Level.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Travel through the cosmos, get up close with spacecraft and more in SCI’s Upper Level space science experience platform Why The Sky? where you can:
Explore the planets of our solar system through a digital video globe
Discover how we use satellites and probes to explore our solar system
Examine our Sun as just another star in the vast Milky Way galaxy
Find the outer reaches of space through telescopes
Experiment with mirrors and lenses to change the behavior of light beams
Learn about an Iowa-born astronaut and see a flight suit she wore during her missions on the International Space Station
Plus, create your own planetarium show on SCI’s COSMIC JUKEBOX®, then enter the Star Theater to watch your creation on the 50-foot dome screen!
Located on SCI’s Upper Level.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Features
-
Floor Covering:
Carpet
-
Floor Number:
2
General Event Space
| Maximum Capacity: 100
With floor to ceiling glass windows providing views to SCI’s entrance and exterior, this space located on the main level is an ideal option for a variety of groups. Currently home to the Makers Studio.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Banquet - 8 per
Capacity: 50 People
Reception
Capacity: 75 People
Theater
Capacity: 100 People
General Event Space
| Maximum Capacity: 300
Located at the heart of our beautiful facility, the grand and colorful atrium space in Founders Hall will welcome your guests into the center of the SCI experience. Marvel at the "ribbon dancers", SCI's public art display overhead in Founders Hall. Enjoy easy access to the main staircase, escalator and elevator to move between the Main Level and Upper Level.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Banquet - 8 per
Capacity: 200 People
Reception
Capacity: 300 People
Theater
Capacity: 300 People
Amenities
- Dance Floor
- Wireless Internet/Wi-Fi
Features
-
Floor Covering:
Carpet
-
Floor Number:
1
Outdoor Venue
| Maximum Capacity: 500
Looking for a bit of fresh air? Overlooking the city of Des Moines, our outdoor spaces provide a beautiful urban backdrop! Whether you're looking to host a formal banquet or a casual picnic, our outdoor spaces can be dressed up or down to suit your needs! Please inquire with SCI event staff if you are interested in an outdoor venue so we can better service your needs.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Reception
Capacity: 500 People
Amenities
- Waterview
- Wet Bar
- Wireless Internet/Wi-Fi
General Event Space
| Maximum Capacity: 18
Need a small, but informal meeting space? Look no further than SCI's Training Room, located on the second floor in the Administration Offices suite. Full AV capabilities possible in this space and set-up needs can be adjusted to your meetings individual requirements.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Conference
Capacity: 18 People
General Event Space
| Maximum Capacity: 200
With a celestial backdrop and a view into Founders Hall below, the centralized space of the Upper Oculus is ideal to pair with the rental of SCI's Upper Level experience platforms. Marvel at the mesmerizing movement of the "ribbon dancers", computerized kinetic sculptures affixed to SCI's ceiling. Access SCI's Upper Level experience platforms What on Earth?, When Things Get Moving, Why the Sky?, and SCI's Star Theater Planetarium.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Banquet - 8 per
Capacity: 100 People
Reception
Capacity: 200 People
Theater
Capacity: 170 People
Theater
| Maximum Capacity: 175
Give your guests the red curtain theater experience! Our 175-seat, multipurpose John Deere Adventure Theater features state-of-the-art equipment, customizable lighting and an intimate environment to complement the overall SCI experience in a traditional theater setting.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Seating Capacity
Capacity: 175 People
General Event Space
| Maximum Capacity: 400
Located on SCI's Main Level, this spacious 4,100-square foot multi-purpose event hall is perfect for catered gatherings, celebrations and workshops. With flexible lighting options and multi-media capabilities, this space is a blank canvas - it can be dressed up or down to fit your event!
*Due to museum operations, venue availability and capacity is subject to change. SCI's newest travelling exhibit, "World's Largest Dinosaurs" will be occupying this space thorught April of 2023.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Banquet - 8 per
Capacity: 225 People
Conference
Capacity: 225 People
Reception
Capacity: 400 People
Theater
Capacity: 300 People
Amenities
- Dance Floor
- Wet Bar
- Wireless Internet/Wi-Fi
General Event Space
| Maximum Capacity: 150
Where else can you have dinner and cocktails in space, or say "I Do" under the stars? Immerse yourself in the night sky for an elegant dinner or reception under the stars in SCI's digital planetarium, the Star Theater. Before you enter, set the stage for an intimate, extraordinary evening as your guests explore SCI's Upper Level space science experience platform Why the Sky?
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Banquet - 8 per
Capacity: 50 People
Reception
Capacity: 150 People
Theater
Capacity: 110 People