Conor Hepp, the new Executive Director and CEO of Da Vinci Science Center in downtown Allentown, joins Lehigh Valley with Love to talk about the power of hands-on learning, what brought him to museum and science center work, and what comes next for the Center.
Conor shares how childhood visits to places like The Franklin Institute and Penn Museum helped spark his own curiosity, especially as a kid who learned best by moving, touching, exploring, and experiencing things directly.
We also talk about Da Vinci Science Center’s new downtown Allentown location, Curiosity Hall, the Lehigh Valley watershed exhibit, the balance between digital and tactile learning, and why community relevance is central to the Science Center’s future.
The conversation also touches on visitation, brand awareness, responsible planning, and how Da Vinci can continue reaching families, students, schools, and curious people across the Lehigh Valley.
The Da Vinci Science Center at PPL Pavilion in Allentown has been selected to host a unique NASA Education Live Stream Event on Tuesday, October 7, at 12:25 p.m. During the program, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) will answer questions submitted by Lehigh Valley students.
The Boys & Girls Club of Allentown (BGCA) has been named the national winner of NASA’s August 2025 VIRTEX Video Competition for its project “Space Cadets at the Boys & Girls Club of Allentown.”
The award highlights BGCA’s participation in NASA’s VIRTEX program, Virtual Field Trips to Extreme Environments, which connects students with NASA scientists through hands-on STEM learning. Allentown’s Space Cadets spent the summer exploring space science, conducting experiments, and learning about STEM careers.