Igniting Curiosity at Pensacola MESS Hall
The Pensacola MESS Hall is celebrating 13 years of bringing science, curiosity and exploration to the streets of downtown Pensacola. The area’s only hands-on science museum opened in 2012 with the mission of inspiring curiosity, experimentation and creative problem-solving through the exploration of math, engineering, science and stuff (MESS). The museum itself was a bit of an experiment, starting as a trial run during summer break and eventually raising enough capital for a permanent downtown location.
“We started in 2012 and have been growing ever since,” Founder and Executive Director Megan Pratt said. “We did it like a science experiment—started small and scaled up. We try new things. We add something new every year.”
Inside the museum, guests are invited to engage with open-ended exhibits like the marble run, where pegboards and ramps are used to make pathways for marbles so kids and families can experiment with speed, gravity and problem-solving. Beyond the main exhibits, visitors can order up a Mess Kit, served in takeout food containers on cafeteria trays. These kits are smaller experiments that contain step-by-step instructions as well as open-ended options for further exploration.
While the physical museum serves as the main attraction for many science seekers, the museum actually does more work outside of the museum with its outreach programs. In fact, Pratt said the museum now reaches three times as many people through outreach programs as it does onsite.
“We’re not just a science museum. We’re a community science resource,” Pratt said. “We do outreach to schools, summer camps and community events. We want people who might not think of themselves as museum or science people to realize that science is for them, too.”
Thanks to a grant from the local philanthropic group, IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area, the MESS Hall now has a dedicated van for staff to bring their science experiences to local schools, community centers and various outreach events throughout the year.
In addition to school and camp visits, they host a weekly program funded by the Escambia Children’s Trust. Staff members visit the same community centers and schools each week, bringing experiments and lessons designed to engage students and enhance their existing science education.
The MESS Hall also hosts Family Science Nights at schools, where stations are set up in gyms and cafeterias for families to try experiments together. These events often rely on volunteers—sometimes school staff, sometimes partners like Navy Federal or the Society of American Military Engineers.
In an effort to reach as much of the community as possible, MESS Hall staff set up booths and experiments at dozens of large community events such as Earth Day, Gallery Night and WSRE’s Be My Neighbor Day.
To keep kids engaged during the summer, the MESS Hall offers thematic weeklong hands-on science summer camps for kids in grades first through sixth. Designed to ignite scientific curiosity and exploration, camp themes include Science Sampler, Games Unplugged, LEGO Builders, Blast Off, Wild World and Creative Coding.
“The summer camps are a lot of fun because you dive a little deeper into a topic and we can spend the time to facilitate that exploration, so it’s a little bit more in-depth,” Pratt said.
In addition to their kid and family programs, the MESS Hall is also working on growing their adult engagement with a variety of programs designed to engage adults in science discovery. Adult programs include social evenings with hands-on science activities, interactive forums and special lectures.
“Most people do not have children in the home. Either you haven’t yet had them, you’re never gonna have them, or they’ve grown up. Our target audience of kids and families is small, so one of our goals is to build science literacy and grow as a part of the community across all ages,” Pratt said. “We’re trying to be present in the community because adults have a lot they can learn too. Having that time to be creative, to think and to build your curiosity is good for you as a person, and it can also be good for our community because it helps build connections with different people.”
Recent adult programming events included a precipitation workshop, a singles science night and a culinary-focused Pi Day celebration. Upcoming events include Illuminate: Space, a student art exhibit held in conjunction with the Night on the Tracks culture and art event on May 10, and a nature-focused game night on June 19.
The MESS Hall offers a variety of ways for visitors to support their mission. While visitors and admission fees are an important component of keeping the museum and its programs running, the MESS Hall also offers annual memberships, opportunities for much-appreciated donations, fundraising events and volunteer opportunities.
To learn more about the Pensacola MESS Hall and the many ways you can support the museum, visit pensacolamesshall.org.