Rockville Science Center Launches Funding Drive for New Home

The Rockville Science Center (RSC) is looking ahead to its next chapter: securing a new, potentially larger facility that can meet growing demand and expand hands-on science education for children and families across Rockville and Montgomery County.

The nonprofit has launched a public fundraising campaign to support the effort, outlining the need for a permanent home that offers both stability and room to grow. The campaign is detailed through the center’s donation portal and on its website, where leaders describe a vision for a modern, flexible space that can house expanded exhibits, classrooms, and community programming.

During a February 9, 2026, visit, RSC President Ulisses Santamaria shared with Montgomery Fix that the organization’s landlord is seeking a new tenant. He said RSC hopes to convert the challenge into an opportunity by securing a new space to match its mission.

RSC moved into its current location on Maryland Avenue in downtown Rockville in January 2020, after Johns Hopkins University closed its Center for Biotechnology Education, where RSC had operated its programs. Just two months later, in March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of in-person programming, cutting off the organization’s primary way of serving the public.

Like many cultural and educational institutions, the Science Center spent the post-lockdown years rebuilding attendance, restoring programs, and re-establishing partnerships. According to Santamaria, that rebound has been successful: classes, camps, workshops, and hands-on exhibits are once again drawing families and school groups.

Santamaria says hands-on science centers play a unique role in sparking curiosity, complementing classroom instruction, and giving families accessible ways to explore topics like robotics, chemistry, physics, and environmental science together. RSC offers a wide variety of classes and workshops for children and adults, provides space for clubs, and hosts community events. It also owns and operates a Makerspace in a separate downtown Rockville location, which Santamaria said could also move into a new facility.

Although the Rockville Science Center was formally founded in 2009, its roots stretch back much further. The organization traces its origins to the Rockville Consortium for Science, established in the late 1980s. Over those decades, the mission of making science accessible, engaging, and fun has grown in parallel with the rise of computers, robotics, and everything else represented in STEM fields.

RSC estimates that it needs at least 5,000 square feet to operate effectively. Ideally, the center would like to move into a facility that could scale up to 20,000 square feet over time. That would enable larger and more interactive exhibit areas, dedicated classrooms and lab spaces, and a larger space for community events.

About half of RSC revenue comes from program revenue. The rest comes in the form of grants and donations. The City of Rockville is the largest single source, followed by Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO), with smaller grants and donations from local companies, foundations, and individual residents in Rockville and Montgomery County. According to Santamaria, this mixed funding model and the nature of the center’s operations make stability and predictability especially important, and securing a long-term facility is the organization’s highest priority.

To learn more about the Rockville Science Center, visit their website.  To make a tax-deductible donation, visit their donation portal.