Experience Science All Year Long!
Guided Tours
Birthday Parties
Educational Programs
CEM
Outdoor Park
Visit Us
2080 S. Cleveland Massillon Rd.
Copley, OH 44321
Hours
Current: Tuesday - Saturday | 10am–5pm (Memorial Day - Labor Day)
Off-Season: Saturdays ONLY | 10am–5pm (Labor Day - Memorial Day)
Phone
(330) 665-3466 (DINO)
WHAT WE DO
GUIDED TOURS
Explore science through three guided tours. Hold and touch real fossils on the Fossil Fun Tour. Make a real take-home replica of a trilobite on the Fossil Replica Making Tour. Interact with our live animal collection on the Animal Adventures Tour.
HOME EDUCATION CLASSES
Simply Science, Studies, and S.T.E.A.M. offer hands-on, engaging educational experiences for home-educated students in grades K–12, with programs tailored by age and skill level.
SUMMER DAY CAMPS
Summer Day Camps are educational opportunities for children in grades K-6 that run during the summer. Each week of camp is themed and involves fun topics taught through hands-on activities and projects.
BIRTHDAY PARTIES
We offer six themed birthday parties, each with its own set of activities and add-ons to choose from. Our birthday parties are scheduled on Saturdays only.
SUPER SCIENCE SATURDAY
Super Science Saturday is an all-day, once-a-month event for students in K-3rd and 4- 7th grades. Each month, we explore a new topic through hands-on activities and take-home projects.
EDUCATIONAL DAYS
Customize your day to match the learning goals you have in mind for your group. Choose from a variety of engaging experiences that go beyond the classroom and offer unique, hands-on learning opportunities.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Upcoming Events
What’s coming up? Find out below!
Who We Are
-
Akron Fossils & Science Center was founded by William Sanderson and Dennis Osborn and opened in 2005, featuring fossils from Sanderson’s personal collection. What began as a small, staff-run center grew into a larger educational space offering hands-on science programs for all ages. In 2016, part of the museum was separated into the Creation Education Museum, giving visitors the option to explore different perspectives while continuing the center’s mission of inspiring learning and critical thinking.
-
Akron Fossils & Science Center is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit that exists to provide visitors of all ages with balanced, affordable, and hands-on educational opportunities to explore the science of the world past, present, and future. We are more than a science center; we are a community of people dedicated to making learning fun and meaningful. We believe the best way to learn science is to experience it, and this philosophy guides everything we do.
-
The Akron Fossils and Science Center offers hands-on science programs that explore the natural world, while the Creation Education Museum focuses on ideas about the origins of the universe and the relationship between science and the Bible. Together, they provide engaging learning opportunities for all ages under one roof. While each branch is wholly separate from the other and features unique tours and programs, many of our programs and activities are offered within both branches and can be tailored to fit your specific learning goals.
We’d Love To Hear From You
Have a question or need more information? We’d love to hear from you. Fill out the form below, and a member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible. Whether you're looking for details about our programming, need support, or just want to connect, we're here to help.
Have you visited recently? At Akron Fossils & Science Center, we love hearing from you! What kinds of content would you like to see more of? Do you have ideas for improving our events or programs? Want to recognize a staff member who made your visit special? Or maybe you’d like to share a story, testimonial, or kind word about your experience with AFSC.
Your feedback means the world to us. Because of you, we’re able to do what we love and share it with our community.
What People are Saying About AFSC…
Did You Know?
Did you know your support makes hands-on science education possible for thousands of curious minds each year? At Akron Fossils & Science Center, every donation helps spark critical thinking, nurture curiosity, and inspire a lifelong love of science through engaging, interactive experiences. It’s only because of generous supporters that these meaningful learning opportunities continue to grow and reach new audiences. Each contribution doesn’t just fund programs; it helps ignite discovery. And as an added benefit, all donations are tax-deductible. Explore the options below to find the many ways you can be part of this mission.
We have exciting news…we’re growing! For the first time since Akron Fossils & Science Center opened its doors 20 years ago, we are adding on to our building. As the audience of children and families we serve has grown, we have felt the need to grow with them. To better serve and accommodate this need, we will be adding a 500 sq. ft. multipurpose room to the back of the science center and building an outdoor science lab and learning garden! These expansions will foster incredible new opportunities for learning and exploration. To make them possible, we need YOUR help!
We have a goal to raise $110,000 by May 22nd!
Donations can be one-time gifts, multi-month pledges, or larger pledges paid out over time. The best part? Every dollar, up to $10,000 will be MATCHED by a generous donor!
What is being built?
The building expansion will be a 500 square foot addition to the back of Akron Fossils & Science Center, facing our outdoor playground. This new all-purpose room will provide critically needed space for our growing home-education and weekend programs and will allow us to launch new offerings. For example, the expanded space will allow hands-on science labs, group workshops, and dedicated areas for additional classroom activities, demonstrations, and more.
With its easy access to the park, the new room will also allow us to integrate more outdoor learning experiences with our indoor curriculum, giving students real-world opportunities for discovery and exploration.
Outdoor Education
Akron Fossils & Science Center sits on a beautiful, 2-acre park. Along with providing a safe place for kids to play, it serves as a unique hands-on learning space for our students and visitors.
In addition to our expanded indoor space, we plan to revitalize and enhance our existing outdoor space by installing upgraded playground equipment and creating an outdoor science lab and learning garden. This enhanced outdoor space will serve as an extension of the classroom, providing hands-on opportunities for exploration, creativity, and experiential learning.
Why Build?
Akron Fossils and Science Center has been operating for over 20 years and has experienced remarkable growth during that time. Every year, our educational programs ignite curiosity and a love of science in thousands of children and teens, while providing families with a welcoming environment to learn and explore together. Our hands-on activities, interactive exhibits, and outreach efforts foster creativity, critical thinking, and family engagement, building lasting memories and strengthening connections within our community.
The expansion of our home-education programming, especially our S.T.E.A.M. classes, has been a tremendous success and a key driver of our recent growth. What has been especially rewarding is seeing how enthusiastically families have embraced these programs, with many returning year after year and sharing their positive experiences with others.
Annual Summer Campers
250+ campers K-5
School Groups
100+ Annually
Home-Educated Students
200+ Students K-12
We have been utilizing all available space in our building and made some much-needed upgrades last year. We painted the entire building, replaced the wooden fence with a vinyl fence, waterproofed the lower level along Cleveland Massillon Road, replaced the bridge over the creek, replaced the roof, and resealed and striped the parking lot. We also created additional parking on the other side of the creek for overflow. These upgrades have not only improved the safety and appearance of our facility but have also made it more accessible and enjoyable for all of our visitors. Because of these improvements, families now experience a brighter, safer, and more welcoming environment when they participate in our programs or attend special events. These expenses came to approximately $75,000.00.
We are so happy to have been able to serve so many people from all walks of life throughout the years, and grateful for the faithful supporters who have helped to make that possible. However, with GROWTH comes a need for SPACE! We are simply bursting at the gills—not a bad problem to have! And that is why we are planning this $110,000 expansion- so that we can continue to provide excellent, hands-on educational opportunities for more and more learners for generations to come.
Will you help us grow?
Both one-time gifts and pledged contributions are deeply valued and play an essential role in helping us move forward. While single-sum donations provide immediate impact, some supporters have chosen to make a pledge that can be fulfilled in two or three installments over two to three years. We have already received commitments from several loyal supporters and are seeking a few additional partners to help underwrite a portion of the project. Our underwriters have asked that we confirm pledged contributions by the end of the month. We invite you to thoughtfully consider this request and kindly ask that you let us know your decision by May 22nd
Remember, every dollar donated will be matched, up to $10,000! Donate by May 22nd!
Sponsor a Friend
Do you have a soft spot for our furry (and not-so-furry) companions? For as little as $60 (only $5 a month), you can sponsor one of our animals! Your contribution will help cover the cost of food, bedding, and other essentials to ensure our animals stay happy and healthy. To find out more about our Animal Sponsorship Program and meet some of our adorable residents, click HERE.
Akron Fossils & Science Center Blog
Engaging Minds Through Hands-On Discovery
