PHOTO COURTESY KAMIN SCIENCE CENTER

There are new signs on the outside of the officially renamed Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin Science Center — and many more changes inside.

The North Shore institution, which announced an impending rebrand more than a year ago, formally unveiled a wide range of updates at a Thursday press event. The most visible change, from the science museum’s decades-old Carnegie Science Center moniker, is in honor of a massive, $65 million gift from Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin, the largest in the history of the Carnegie Museums.

“This gift created not only incredible momentum, but it validated something about our belief — and that belief is that we should dream big,” says Jason Brown, the Henry Buhl, Jr., Director of the Kamin Science Center and a Vice President of the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

Immediately, the results of an extensive refresh are visible; to the right of the main entrance, a dynamic, 25-foot LED wall replaces a row of posters. New signage and colors — shades of teal and deep blue — cover the museum. A new pollinator garden welcomes guests outside.

A number of new exhibitions and experiences are also coming soon. “Normally, a museum like ours does one new exhibition every [two-to-three] years,” says Brown. “Because of the Kamin family, we plan to launch nine new exhibitions and experiences in the next two and a half years.”

“Sports360,” set to open in December, will offer “nearly 25 interactive activities” to illuminate guests on the science of athletic competition. Next summer, a new experience called the “Science of Speed” — housed in the former SportsWorks building — will focus on the science behind elite race cars. A “750-foot-long, multi-story go-kart race track,” according to Brown, will be a part of the experience.

The “Science of Speed” building will also feature a restaurant and lounge which will remain open after museum hours.

New exhibitions like these, Brown says, are “the embodiment of the mission of this organization — to connect people in science, igniting curiosity that lasts a lifetime.”

More changes and additions are forthcoming, as upgrades are planned for a full 75% of exhibit spaces. An interactive, artful exhibit inspired by deep-space photography is set for the four-story Peirce Atrium; new exhibitions will focus on the science behind in-demand careers as well as climate change in Southwestern Pennsylvania. An “Early Learners space” is also planned.

The Kamin Science Center will reopen its doors to the public on Saturday with its “(Re)Launch Day” celebration. Admission to the museum will be free (although pre-registration is required, as large crowds are expected). The event will also feature free film screenings in the Rangos Giant Cinema and giveaways throughout the day.