Whitaker Center for Science & the Arts - Harrisburg, PA

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Explore Whitaker Center for Science & the Arts

Located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts is Central Pennsylvania’s premier center for education and cultural enrichment. Whitaker Center is a thought leader in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) engagement for all ages and backgrounds. We believe that by investing our resources in educating, entertaining, and engaging visitors, we can spark a movement that makes our community a better place to live, work, and play. Composed of four main venues – UPMC Science Center (formerly Harsco Science Center), PNC Innovation Zone, Sunoco Performance Theater, and Select Medical Digital Cinema Theater, Whitaker Center has something for everyone as a destination of choice.

Plan Your Visit

UPMC Science Center

Fascinating exhibits about Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math all combine to make a visit to the UPMC Science Center an extraordinary educational experience cleverly disguised as a whole lot of fun.

Science Exhibitions

Permanent Exhibit

Backstage Studio

Funded by The Alexander Grass Foundation, Backstage Studio features fascinating exhibits that reveal the science and technology behind movies, TV, music, and theatre. Create your own stop-action film, put yourself into the movies in the Foley Studio, and explore the creation of different sound effects in this interactive gallery.

Little Learners

Little Learners meet September through May, and is designed for children aged 3-6. Sharpen science process skills and experiment, read, explore, sing, and create! Learners will have time for structured weekly themed activities.

Permanent Exhibit

STEM Design Studios

Get hands-on with different STEM topics. These engaging activities will allow parents and kids to explore STEM topics together, learning as a team. Enjoy activities and design challenges with Ozobots™ , Spheros™, 3Doodler™ 3D printing pens, tangrams, K’NEX® and much more!

Sensory Saturdays

During Sensory Saturdays, exhibit lights and sound effects are adjusted, and additional hands-on activities are included to foster a safe, welcoming, and most importantly — FUN — environment for all visitors.

Permanent Exhibit

Carnival of Health

Step right up and experience the one and only Carnival of Health at Whitaker Center. More than 2,200 square feet of fun-filled themed entertainment opens your eyes to the wonders of healthy living and the human body.

All Science Exhibititions

Select Medical Digital Cinema

Select Medical Digital Cinema (formerly IMAX Theater) is a large-format cinema arts theater that primarily focuses on bringing educational documentaries to life on the largest screen in Central PA!

Showing Until: Dec 31, 2026

Great Bear Rainforest

Journey to a land of grizzlies, coastal wolves, sea otters and the all-white spirit bear — the rarest bear on earth — in the film Great Bear Rainforest 3D, narrated by Ryan Reynolds.

Showing Until: Dec 31, 2026

T. REX

For over a hundred years dinosaurs have inspired and thrilled audiences, commanding blockbuster status in museums and at the box office. But among them towers a king — a tyrant lizard king. Working with top tyrannosaur scientists, a coalition of natural history institutions, and pioneering paleo and visual effects artists, GSF’s original giant screen production on this iconic dinosaur — and its carnivorous Cretaceous cousins — aims to be the most dazzling and accurate T. rex documentary ever made.

Showing Until: Dec 31, 2026

Great Barrier Reef 3D

Every year millions of visitors travel by way of fins, flippers and feet to see one of the seven wonders of the natural world: the Great Barrier Reef – a living treasure trove of biodiversity.

Showing Until: Dec 31, 2026

Journey to Space 3D

In the past half century, humans have punched through the stratosphere, walked on the moon, and lived continuously in orbit. In the coming decades, our unquenchable curiosity will take our species beyond the cradle of Earth to touch the face of another world.

Showing Until: Dec 31, 2026

Into America’s Wild 3D

From the Academy Award® nominated producers of the acclaimed hit film National Parks Adventure comes Into America’s Wild, a visually stunning cross-country adventure into the hidden wonders of the natural world.

All Movies

Sunoco Performance Theater

This Broadway-designed theater seats almost 700, offering an intimate experience for all guests, no matter where they sit! Often featuring local and regional talent as well as welcoming performing artists from national and international backgrounds.

Sep 19, 2026

The Magic of Motown

Journey through Motown’s best including: The Temptations, The Jackson Five, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, and more!

Nov 25, 2026

The Machine performs Pink Floyd

Join us at Whitaker Center on November 25, 2026, for an unforgettable night with The Machine, the acclaimed Pink Floyd tribute band that has been extending the legendary group’s musical legacy for over 30 years.

Oct 28, 2026

Glenn Miller Orchestra

Experience the Glenn Miller Orchestra today, performing beloved hits and modern selections in the unforgettable Miller style.

Oct 9, 2026

The Brit Pack – British Invasion and More

Performing music by Led Zeppelin, Queen, and The Rolling Stones, to David Bowie, Oasis, Tears for Fears, and more, The Brit Pack covers everything from the most iconic anthems of the sixties, to the modern classics of today!

Sep 22, 2026

Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: In Concert

Relive the magic of Labyrinth with a special 40th anniversary event featuring the film with a live musical score on September 22, 2026!

All Theater Shows

PNC Innovation Zone

Get connected to the latest technology in the PNC Innovation Zone! In addition to educational programming and purposeful gaming, this zone provides businesses and organizations transformative spaces to create, meet, and connect.

About Innovation Zone

Kids & Schools

Create memories that will last a lifetime! Bring your students to Whitaker Center on a field trip or visit us on the weekend for an educator-led program. Fun and learning for all ages!

Little Learners

Little Learners

Little Learners meet September through May, and is designed for children aged 3-6. Sharpen science process skills and experiment, read, explore, sing, and create! Learners will have time for structured weekly themed activities.

Sensory Saturdays

During Sensory Saturdays, exhibit lights and sound effects are adjusted, and additional hands-on activities are included to foster a safe, welcoming, and most importantly — FUN — environment for all visitors.

Grades K–2

Junior Labsters

In Junior Labsters, young learners and their grown-ups team up to tackle exciting STEAM challenges and unleash their creativity through hands-on art and science activities. Together, they’ll explore the wonders of the world around us — building, experimenting, and imagining side by side.

Grades 6–12

Girls Who Code

Join a sisterhood of STEM with Girls Who Code, a place to make new friends and learn about computer science. Computer science is an expansive field that includes a way of thinking, planning, and problem-solving in addition to programming.