Whitaker Center for Science & the Arts

Welcome to Whitaker Center

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Enjoy Upcoming Shows

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New Exhibit: Above And Beyond!

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2025 Whitaker Summer Camps: Now Available!

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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.

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

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.

EXPLORE

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.

EXPLORE

Mar 7, 2025 – May 25, 2025

Above And Beyond

ABOVE AND BEYOND celebrates the power of innovation to make dreams take flight. This 5,000-square-foot traveling aerospace exhibition features: immersive simulations, interactive design challenges, iconic historical touchstones, visionary concepts for the future, and inspiring stories from game-changing innovators, past and present. Packed with fun interactive challenges, vehicle concept models and prototypes, immersive media presentations, and inspiring stories, this large-scale exhibition invites you to experience what it takes to make the “impossible” possible. Explore ever more advanced aircraft and spacecraft that change our lives and transform our world. And join the epic journey into the sky and beyond!

INFO & TICKETS

Permanent Exhibit

Carnival of Health

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls — step right up and experience the one and only Carnival of Health. More than 2,200 square feet of fun-filled themed entertainment opens your eyes to the wonders of healthy living and the human body.

EXPLORE

Apr 17, 2025

PNC Community Day

Join us for PNC Community Day at Whitaker Center on Thursday, April 17, from 5–7 PM, and enjoy an evening of free family-friendly fun! Explore the exciting PNC Innovation Zone, where kids ages 10+ can engage in interactive, hands-on experiences that spark creativity and curiosity. Step into the Above and Beyond Traveling Exhibit, a high-flying adventure that takes you to the limits of aerospace innovation. Get hands-on with an engaging STEAM activity, dive into the wonders of our Science Center, and cap off the evening with a free movie showing.

INFO & TICKETS

All Science Exhibititions

Select Medical Digital Cinema

Select Medical Digital Cinema (formerly IMAX Theater) is a large-format cinema arts theater which primarily focuses on both educational documentaries and Hollywood films and brings it all to life on the largest screen in Central PA!

Showtimes

Showing Until: Dec 31, 2025

Tornado Alley 3D

Tornado Alley is a giant-screen adventure that takes viewers on an epic chase through the “severe weather capital of the world.”

INFO & TICKETS

Showing Until: Dec 31, 2025

Expedition Chesapeake, A Journey of Discovery

Expedition Chesapeake, A Journey of Discovery is the first giant-screen film to capture the stunning natural beauty of the largest estuary in North America.

INFO & TICKETS

Showing Until: Dec 31, 2025

Dream Big: Engineering Our World

From the world’s tallest building to underwater robots and a solar car race across Australia, Dream Big celebrates the human ingenuity and stories behind engineering marvels big and small, and reveals the heart that drives engineers to create better lives for people around the world.

INFO & TICKETS

Showing Until: Dec 31, 2025

Astronaut: Ocean to Orbit

Astronaut: Ocean to Orbit explores the ways in which NASA uses underwater environments to simulate life and work in space, offering a fascinating look into the high-tech world of astronauts.

INFO & TICKETS

Showing Until: Dec 31, 2025

Super Human Body: World of Medical Marvels

Super Human Body: World of Medical Marvels combines state-of-the-art CGI and live-action cinematography to explore the inner workings of our bodies and show how science and technology can help us intervene, and even save lives, when our bodies fail us.

INFO & TICKETS

All Movies

Sunoco Performance Theater

This Broadway designed theater is home to almost 700 seats, with an intimate experience for all guests no matter where they sit, and has showcased local and regional talent as well as welcoming performing artists from national and international backgrounds.

Upcoming Shows

Aug 29, 2025

All-4-One

The Grammy Award-Winning group, All-4-One, is internationally known for making beautiful love songs that not only chart radio airwaves, but also garner countless awards.

INFO & TICKETS

Nov 26, 2025

The Machine performs Pink Floyd

Join us at Whitaker Center on November 26, 2025, 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.

INFO & TICKETS

Jun 29, 2025

Girls Night The Musical

See the Off-Broadway sensation that audiences can’t get enough of from coast to coast! Share the fun and laughter in this hilarious, feel-good comedy as five girlfriends re-live their past, celebrate their present, and look to the future on a wild night out! Featuring the most famous female empowerment hits of the last four decades including “Lady Marmalade,” “It’s Raining Men,” “Man I Feel Like A Woman,” “I Will Survive,” and many more.

INFO & TICKETS

May 25, 2025

Hershey School of Dance & Arts: Celebrate 2025

Hershey School of Dance & Arts proudly presents “Celebrate!” 2025 Join us for our annual recital as we celebrate a year of growth and learning, our wonderful students and community, and dance and the arts! At HSDA, we believe that there is always something to celebrate!

Apr 12, 2025

Pennsylvania Regional Ballet Spring Gala Concert

Join us on April 12th for an unforgettable evening of stunning ballet performances by the talented dancers of the Pennsylvania Regional Ballet at their Spring Gala Concert!

INFO & TICKETS

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!