Dec. 22, 2025
— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
Back in 2021, the Da Vinci Science Center projected attendance of 400,000 in its first year after opening in downtown Allentown.
That sounded like a lot, roughly half as many as Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute brings in annually.
It was. The first year at 815 W. Hamilton St. drew 160,000 people, according to a statement from the science center.
Is this the new Lehigh Valley boondoggle? The City of Easton dodged a bullet when it decided not to be the host.
First, I thank Da Vinci for responding and being blunt. Second, it fell 60% short of its target, and in Year One, when there should have been some excitement about a new attraction.
The place has a big problem. How did they miscalculate by almost a quarter of a million people, or a half million feet through the door?
Below is their comment on the shortfall:
Ambitious is indeed one word for it. Unrealistic is another. I suspected as much four years ago.
The Da Vinci Center relied upon a lot of public support and it needs to provide some payback. Right now, it may be a disaster.
This kind of performance isn’t sustainable.
Again, I thank Tamara Krizek for her comments. Some local organizations won’t acknowledge problems, they just keep on pretending. She was concise and forthright.
This place has a long way to go. It has big problems.
More on that later.
Here’s a link to the Da Vinci Science Center website:
Lehigh Valley News Briefs 
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