Whitaker Center for Science & the Arts - Harrisburg, PA

Here’s What’s Going On This Month at Whitaker!

Plan Your Visit

A NEW Exhibit Arrives June 13th!

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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.

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!

Jun 13, 2026 – Aug 31, 2026

Under The Canopy

Don’t miss Under The Canopy, an exciting exhibit featuring rainforest animals, live plants, and engaging presentations at Whitaker Center!

Permanent Exhibit

Forces of Nature Exhibit

Through compelling stories of natural forces and environmental change, Forces of Nature is both an exciting thematic area and a relevant science topic that affects everyone’s daily life. The permanent gallery provides guests with the opportunity to experience a variety of extraordinary weather wonders featuring physical “phenomenon-based” exhibits.

Jun 19, 2026

Adults Night Out

Why should kids have all the fun?! Dive into the wonders of the Whitaker Center and explore interactive exhibits, including our traveling exhibit – Under The Canopy! Drink beer with boas, sip sodas with sloths, and get your weekend started with geckos. Featuring a cash Beer & Wine Bar. Please note, this event is 21+.

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

Flight of the Butterflies

It is a natural history epic. It is a detective story. Join hundreds of millions of real butterflies on an amazing journey to a remote and secret hideaway, and one scientist’s 40-year search to unravel the mystery – where do they go each fall? Experience the Flight of the Butterflies 3D.

Showing Until: Dec 31, 2026

Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk 3D

Join environmental advocates Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Wade Davis as they set out with their daughters, traveling deep into the Grand Canyon and down the river that runs through it.

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

Ireland

Journey to a magical land of stunning natural wonders, ancient clifftop marvels, and a rich, cultural heritage in the new film Ireland for IMAX® and giant screen theatres.

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.

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!

Oct 28, 2026

Glenn Miller Orchestra

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

Aug 13, 2026

BoDeans

Celebrate the 40th anniversary of BoDeans with a two-and-a-half-hour show featuring retrospective hits from five decades.

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!

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.

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