Roberson Museum And Science Center

About Us
Roberson Museum and Science Center is a complex institution encompassing the Binghamton campus of museum and science center, including historic buildings, and the Kopernik observatory in Vestal, NY.

Roberson Memorial, Inc. was established by the will of Alonzo Roberson in 1934 to create an “educational center …for the use and benefit of all people.” The Roberson Memorial Center (as first called) opened to the public in 1954 in the Roberson Mansion. At that time, the Binghamton Museum of Fine Arts transferred its collections to Roberson. An addition in 1966 provided galleries, a theatre, the Link Planetarium, and offices. The A. Ward Ford wing, added in 1984, houses modern vaults and collections preparation space, and now holds the Decker Life Science Center. Roberson became accredited under the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) in the 1980’s.

In 1996, the Roberson Mansion’s carriage house was renovated as a multipurpose educational center, complete with Clayworks, a modern pottery studio. Also, a New York State Heritage Area Visitor Center addition, owned by the city but operated in partnership with Roberson, was built.

In 1974, Roberson assumed responsibility for the Kopernik Observatory, 12 miles away, and expanded its science programming. This was followed by expansion in 1994 to create the Roberson-Kopernik Space Education Center. Also in 1994, the mansion and annex across the street from the Roberson Mansion was acquired by Roberson through a Decker Foundation grant to preserve the facility and is now called the Decker Arts and Cultural Center.Roberson offers unique museum and education resources in the Southern Tier of New York that are unmatched in the region.