The Museum of Science has announced the opening programme for its new William and Charlotte Bloomberg Public Science Common, a roughly 10,000-square-foot public space aimed at broadening public engagement with science. The Common will open to the public in October 2026, with headline events featuring former NASA engineer and science communicator Mark Rober and seven-time GRAMMY-winning musician and producer Jacob Collier.
What the new Common will offer
The Museum described the Common as a space designed to “inspire a lifelong love of science in everyone”. The first wave of fall programming includes ticketed headline events, immersive experiences and sessions with leading scientists and innovators. Further headliners and additional programmes will be announced in the coming weeks, according to the Museum.
- Headline conversations and performances: Jacob Collier will appear for a fireside conversation followed by a live performance on 16 October; Mark Rober will present an afternoon of hands-on engineering, demonstrations and audience participation on 24 October.
- Ticketing: Member pre-sales open 23 September; general public sales open 25 September.
- Format: A mix of talks, live demonstrations, immersive programmes and exclusive events with scientists and creators.
Dates and ticketing at a glance
| Event | Date | Member ticket sale | General sale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Collier — fireside conversation and performance | 16 October 2026 | 10:00 ET, 23 September 2026 | 10:00 ET, 25 September 2026 |
| Mark Rober — demonstrations, chat and Q&A | 24 October 2026 | 10:00 ET, 23 September 2026 | 10:00 ET, 25 September 2026 |
The Museum indicated that the initial events are a portion of the fall schedule; it said additional programming would be revealed in the coming weeks. Tickets for the headline events are available through the Museum’s sales channels, with links provided in the announcement.
Why this matters
Public science centres play multiple roles: they present current science, invite hands‑on learning and act as civic spaces where science intersects with culture, policy and creativity. The choice of speakers for the opening highlights two complementary approaches to public engagement. Mark Rober is known for engineering demonstrations and accessible, experiment‑based science communication; Jacob Collier is an artist who frequently explores the technical and mathematical structures of music, bringing creative practice into dialogue with scientific ideas.
For readers following trends in science communication, the Common illustrates a model increasingly used by major museums: combining entertainment, celebrity presence and substantive scientific content to reach broader and more diverse audiences. The Museum’s emphasis on immersive programmes and intimate conversations suggests a focus on depth as well as reach.
It is worth noting three practical points for South African and international observers: the announcement does not specify ticket prices or detailed programming beyond the initial headliners; the space opens in October 2026, so more detailed schedules and partners should be expected in the weeks ahead; and the Museum has indicated an ongoing roll‑out of additional events and headliners.
As museums and science centres worldwide experiment with new ways to connect people to science, the William and Charlotte Bloomberg Public Science Common will be one to watch. It may offer useful lessons on how to combine live performance, hands‑on engineering and cross‑disciplinary creativity in public engagement programmes.
“The William and Charlotte Bloomberg Public Science Common will open to the public October 2026,” the Museum said in its announcement.
The Museum’s full press release includes further detail and multimedia; the Museum said tickets for the announced events would be available first to members on 23 September and to the general public on 25 September.
