Madison Science Museum

The Madison Science is a place and an organization for telling the stories of Wisconsin’s remarkable contributions, past and present, in science and technology, to the general public.

TheMuseum will have:

historical artifacts (instruments, awards, medals, documents)

photographs, audio and video vignettes, oral histories

interactive exhibits and simulations with touch screens

special traveling exhibits shared with other museums

a laboratory equipped with both antique and modern instruments

prototypes of devices developed or invented in Wisconsin

Hall of Fame, with rotating exhibits on individuals

artistic creations that depict science and technology

interactive exhibitsabout current R&Din Wisconsin

displays that “advertise” other museums and science events in Wisconsin

3-D printing technology and robotics

stem cell technology and applications

The displays will be organized by themes. For example, we plan an exhibit on “imaging” that will include:

medical imaging (CT, PET, fMRI)

micrographic imaging by optical, electron, and atomic force microscopy

satellite imaging of weather and geological features

astronomic imaging with telescopes and satellites

Other examples of crosscutting themes to be developed include

diabetes

vision

big data

bioenergy

The exhibits will be prepared in cooperation with partners, including:

students and faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

local technology firms

regional industries and agribusinesses

The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and Discovery (WID)

Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison Children’s Museum

Madison Area Technical College (Madison College)

The Museum staff will host special events for groups of middle- and high school students, and for lifelong learning groups.

Location and Hours:

The Museum will be open from 10:00 am to 9:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday The Madison Science Museum is located in the Madison College building, one block from the Capitol Square, within a few steps of the Children’s Museum, the Veterans’ Museum, and the Wisconsin Historical Museum. We expect to have interns from Madison College programs in animation, videography, non-profit administration, accounting, and design and construction, working in and with the Museum.

Organization and Financing:

We area 501c3 non-profit organization. The founding individuals include Olga Trubetskoy, a biochemist with long experience in the biotechnology industry, Terry Sivesind, a local biotechnology entrepreneur, David Nelson, a retired professor of Biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Kirby Brant, a lawyer with a background in biology.

The Museum is in the process of raising funds for its first year of operation. Emeritus Professor Rock Mackie has promised to match up to $50,000 of donations from other emeritus professors, and another individual has promised $50,000 per year for each year for each of the first five years.

Contacts: David Nelson 608-263-6879

Olga Trubetskoy

Terry Sivesind

Museum Website: