SpectrUM Discovery Area


The spectrUM Discovery Area is a public science museum, located at 812 Toole Ave. in Missoula, Montana. spectrUM Discovery Area offers , birthday parties, no-school camps, and after school clubs. Through in-house and traveling outreach programs, it serves over 50,000 Montanans each year throughout Montana.
Founded in 2007 by medicinal chemist Dr. Charles Thompson, spectrUM is dedicated to teaching science through hands-on exhibits and activities. spectrUM regularly moves travelling exhibits and activities to unexpected locations like restaurants, parks, powwows and festivals. It invites Montanans to try science through its “Science. Try it” campaign. spectrUM also has a website with online science experiments and podcasts of Dr. Katie George's “Science is Cool”, which is regularly broadcast on KUFM Montana Public Radio.
A 2009 exhibit for children was focused on careers in health fields. SpectrUM developed the exhibit in partnership with coordination with the Western Montana Area Health Education Center and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana.