MIT Museum

Exploring Innovation

A new addition to the MIT community arrived with the re-opening of  The MIT Museum at a new location at 314 Main Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  In the heart of the Kendall Square Gateway of MIT’s campus, the new museum provides easy access for the MIT community and the general public.  Reinvented with new exhibitions, programming, and more, all housed within a 56,000 square foot space, the MIT Museum makes innovation and research available to all by presenting the best of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math).

Highlights of the Museum include freshly conceived exhibitions featuring objects from the Museum’s prodigious collections, along with loans of art and artifacts. Special exhibitions and ongoing installations showcase MIT’s research and innovations, past and current.

One reason why the MIT Museum is so special is the numerous ways in which its exhibitions and programs invite visitors to take part in MIT’s innovations in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. This work is done through hands-on learning labs and maker spaces, interactive exhibits, and venues that discuss the impact of science and technology on society. The Museum recognizes that science and technology do not need to be vague terms that the general public struggle to connect with. By making MIT’s research and innovations more accessible to a wider audience, the Museum will forge stronger relationships within the community.

There are plenty of fascinating items to see. Highlights throughout the galleries include a prototype of Nobel winner Rainer Weiss’s Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO), which proved Einstein’s theory of relativity; the 1892 diploma of pioneering architect and professor Robert Robinson Taylor, the first Black graduate of MIT; and the Apollo Guidance Computer (Block II), critical to the success of Apollo missions.

kubik maltbie performed the role of exhibition fabrication, working closely with the exhibition designer, Studio Joseph. kubik maltbie was responsible for all fabrication including interactive exhibits, lighting systems and audio-visual integration. We also provided pre-construction services, fabrication and installation of graphics, exhibits AV, electrical, and custom showcases. The finished installation spanned 24,350 square-foot and encompassed over three floors and six galleries. With an intended mission to explore innovation and research, the exhibits focus on the best of STEAM.

Specific galleries include “AI-Mind the Gap” which looks at new perspectives in artificial intelligence and its potential, as well as risks. “Gene Cultures” focuses on genetic research and biotechnology, while “Tracing Threads” looks at the shifting movements of people in a globalized world. “Essential MIT” tells stories that showcase the process of discovery and innovation that sits at the heart of MIT as visitors immerse themselves in the experimental culture and collaborative spirit of the MIT community. “MIT Collects” features objects and other media from the Museum’s vast collection, arranged in areas that tell stories, explore themes, and dive into subject areas. Each exhibition is riveting and interactive.

kubik maltbie was honored to play a key role in transforming MIT’s innovative research and discoveries into engaging and thought-provoking exhibitions for all visitors.