A popular downtown destination for science lovers and curious folks is leaving Los Altos.
In a letter to customers earlier this month, Helix by Exploratorium Director Anne Richardson announced that the science center at 316 State St. is closing its doors Nov. 30.
The one-stop science shop, a first-of-its-kind satellite location offered by the San Francisco-based Exploratorium, initially came to downtown Los Altos through a one-year grant from Passerelle Investment Co. In reporting the pending closure of the project, Richardson noted that approximately 50,000 visitors enjoyed Helix’s exhibits, programs and retail offerings throughout its yearlong stay.
“We are grateful for the one-year grant from Passerelle Investment that funded this effort,” Richardson wrote. “Through this work, we have learned a tremendous amount about what it means to develop and operate a community-based science center, and plan to share this learning with other interested communities.”
Reached by the Town Crier, Helix Program Manager Hashim Anderson said the one-year experience has been positive for Exploratorium staff members. He added that the Exploratorium agreed to open a local science center to test whether the concept would be feasible and desired by the local community.
Helix welcomed a wide range of visitors on a weekly basis, from home-school parents who sought a helping hand teaching their children science to high school students on short field trips – and many others of various ages.
“I think it served a need a lot of parents had, in terms of offering science education,” Anderson said. “We rarely said no to something. We really tried to be responsive to the community’s needs and desires.”
The one-year project – which Anderson called a “social experiment of sorts” – also sought to dispel the notion that Exploratorium programming is geared solely toward children. Anderson noted that Helix also made a conscious effort to offer something for adults, including happy-hour events and guest lectures.
“For us, what was really important was that we could serve anyone – not just kids,” he said.
While Helix’s time in Los Altos is drawing to a close, Anderson said the Exploratorium plans to use its one-year experience as a tool in future programming and other endeavors.
“Being able to do this here has been a blast,” Anderson said. “We’ve learned a lot. … We just wanted people to have a great experience.”
For more information, visit helixlosaltos.org.
