Carnegie Science Center, now called Kamin Science Center, gives PreK-12 educators one free general admission a year through its Educator Preview, but only if you teach at a school in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland or New York. The special offers page says educators who teach PreK-12 in a school in those five states are eligible for one free admission, once a year, prior to a group booking.
The visit is meant as a trial run for a class trip. The page says to use it to familiarize yourself with the offerings and prepare for an upcoming field trip, so the time to use it is before you book your class. If the name is new to you, the pricing page describes Kamin Science Center as formerly Carnegie Science Center, and the offers below are on the Kamin site.
How To Get The Carnegie Science Center Teacher Discount
The Educator Preview asks for one thing: bring your school educator ID to the Science Center on the day you plan to preview. The paragraph doesn’t mention a form or a reservation, so the plan is to show up with your ID on the day you choose.
What The Free Visit Covers
The page keeps the terms short. The free admission is valid for general admission only. Special exhibitions, Rangos Giant Cinema films, laser shows and other fee-based programs aren’t included. It isn’t valid for group trips or field trips, and the page says the free visit can’t be used on the day of your field trip. It has no cash value, and it isn’t transferable. For a sense of what a general admission is worth, the pricing page lists adult admission at $25.
Who Counts As A Teacher
The page words the rule around where your school is. It says the preview is valid only for PreK-12 educators from schools located in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, New York and Maryland. If you teach anywhere from prekindergarten through twelfth grade at a school in one of those five states, you’re who it was written for. Teachers at schools in other states aren’t covered.
The XPLOR Store Discount
The same page says the XPLOR Store offers a 10% discount to teachers purchasing items for their classroom. It doesn’t say what to show at the register, so bring your school ID with you to be safe.
Cash Back Routes We Checked
We looked for cash back at the three places we usually check, under both the new and old names. Rakuten’s addresses load its general page instead of a store page, and TopCashback and Fluz have no page at the addresses we tried. We aren’t pointing you to a cash back route for this center.
What We Couldn’t Confirm
The same page has a second section called Teachers Visit For Free. It says Pre-K to 12th grade educators can receive free admission, that you’re eligible if you work in a school in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland or New York, and that you complete a form to join the Teacher Appreciation Program, then present the pass you receive to the Ticket Counter staff along with your official school ID. The page doesn’t say whether that is the same offer as the Educator Preview or a separate one, and it doesn’t say how often you can use it. We can’t tell you whether that adds up to one free visit or two, so the Educator Preview is the offer we’ve described in full.
Neither offer lists a start date or an end date. The page also doesn’t define who counts as an educator beyond working in a school in one of the five states, so if you teach at a private school or work as a substitute or an aide, ask at the Ticket Counter before you make the trip.
Q&A
Does Carnegie Science Center give teachers free admission?
Yes, through its Educator Preview. The page offers one free admission, once a year, prior to a group booking, to PreK-12 educators at schools in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland or New York.
Is it still called Carnegie Science Center?
The pricing page says Kamin Science Center, formerly Carnegie Science Center.
What do I bring?
Your school educator ID, shown at the Science Center on the day you plan to preview.
Do I have to teach in Pennsylvania?
No, but your school has to be in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland or New York.
Can I use it on the day my class visits?
No. The page says the free visit can’t be used on the day of your field trip, and that it isn’t valid for group trips or field trips.
Does it include the films and laser shows?
No. The page says special exhibitions, Rangos Giant Cinema films, laser shows and other fee-based programs aren’t included.
Is there a teacher discount at the store?
Yes. The page says the XPLOR Store offers a 10% discount to teachers purchasing items for their classroom.
What is the Teachers Visit For Free offer?
It’s a second free admission section on the same page, with a form and a pass. The page doesn’t say whether it’s the same offer as the Educator Preview.
Is there cash back at Carnegie Science Center?
We didn’t find a route we could confirm.
More Information:
The details above come from the center’s own special offers and pricing pages, plus Rakuten, TopCashback and Fluz, as they loaded when we checked, and they change without notice. Carnegie Museum of Natural History runs its own Educator Preview, and we cover it on our Carnegie Museum of Natural History teacher discount page. See more entertainment discounts for teachers.
