Arts & Culture · Experiences & Recreation · Family Activities · Museums
Emerald Coast Science Center
About
The Emerald Coast Science Center is a hands-on science museum in Fort Walton Beach that sets out to make science fun for ages 2 to 102. The Junior League of the Emerald Coast, led by Dr. Alexis Tibbetts, founded it in 1989 as the FOCUS Center (Families of Okaloosa County Understanding Science). It became a nonprofit in 1992 and took its current name in 2001.
Find it at 31 SW Memorial Pkwy in Fort Walton Beach, phone 850-664-1261, online at ecscience.org. The center moved into its current building in 2014, on 2 acres with four exhibit rooms and two classrooms. Inside are an animal room, a Makerspace, KITS in the Kitchen, a Florida Ecosystem room, a reptiles and amphibians exhibit, and a lab for preschoolers. Outdoor exhibits include a Dino Dig, a turtle habitat, a butterfly garden, the Fort Audubon Tree House and the STEAM Machine school bus.
The center also offers mobile planetarium shows, school field trips, birthday parties and programs for children, teens and adults. It won Best Museum 2025 in the Finest on the Emerald Coast awards.
Hours are seasonal. From Labor Day to Memorial Day it is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10am to 3pm; in summer, Monday through Saturday, 10am to 4pm. Admission is $13 for ages 3 and up, and free for children under 2 and members (as of September 2026). Military and first responders get 10% off with ID, and Museums for All pricing of $5 a person, for up to four people, is available with a SNAP card. Outside food is welcome.
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