The Discovery Center & Aquarium Project
Nantucket as a Natural Laboratory - for Resilience, Harbor Education, and Marine Science Research
On a tiny island off the coast of Massachusetts, the legacy of Maria Mitchell continues to inspire and shape our world. As America’s first female astronomer, and a pioneering scientist and educator, Mitchell championed curiosity, discovery, and bold new ways of thinking.
Today, the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) carries her vision forward. Through the creation of a new Discovery Center & Aquarium, the MMA will engage our community in understanding harbor health, marine science, coastal resiliency, and the natural world that surrounds us.
Join our Capital Campaign and help us raise the critical funds needed to bring the Discovery Center & Aquarium to life.
Together, we can honor Maria Mitchell’s legacy and inspire the next generation of explorers, thinkers, and environmental stewards.
Our Future
Informed by the MMA’s strategic goals and with thoughtful preparation, the MMA has quietly launched a $25 million capital campaign to build a new Discovery Center & Aquarium.
The Discovery Center & Aquarium will provide engaging, hands-on learning for children and adults, exploring Nantucket’s unique marine environment, coastal systems, and the impacts of a changing climate.
The project will feature experiential exhibits, marine science research spaces, flexible public gathering areas, and rain gardens designed to manage rising waters, while preserving the historic buildings on the property.
Read our most recent update
here.
Our Impact
The Discovery Center & Aquarium will be designed as a climate-resilient, place-based landmark, deeply rooted in Nantucket’s natural landscape and maritime history. Drawing inspiration from the island’s relationship with the sea, the building will integrate resilient materials and adaptable spaces that respond to a changing coastal environment.
Blending indoor exhibits with outdoor learning environments, the center will function as an outdoor laboratory, inviting hands-on exploration and direct engagement with Nantucket Sound and the surrounding marine ecosystem. The design will honor Nantucket’s past while advancing a forward-looking model of environmental stewardship.
As a year-round destination in downtown Nantucket, the project will become a significant new cultural and educational asset for the Town, projected to attract approximately 45,000 - 60,000 visitors annually, enriching the island’s civic life and reinforcing its role as a leader in marine science, climate awareness, and coastal resilience.
In addition, the facility is expected to serve 10,000 students annually through school field trips and provide after-school STEAM programming for up to 150 youth during the academic year, generating an additional 6,000–9,000 annual program visits. Special event rentals and evening programs are projected to serve 2,000 additional guests per year, supporting both earned revenue and donor engagement.
Our Vision
The Discovery Center & Aquarium will build on more than 15 years of marine research and youth-focused summer science programs, uniting this work in a single, public-facing facility. The center will integrate long-standing scallop research, ongoing harbor health initiatives, and real-time data from the organization’s buoy monitoring program, supported by a dedicated wet laboratory that will enable research and hands-on scientific work to continue year-round.
Through exhibits, touch tanks, and applied learning experiences, the aquarium will directly reflect the marine life and ecosystems of Nantucket Harbor and the surrounding ocean, translating active research into accessible education. By connecting ongoing science to the living environment, the facility will advance harbor preservation efforts and reinforce Nantucket’s role as a leader in coastal and marine science.
Our Progress
2026 – Survey of All Washington Street Properties Completed | Building Committee Launches Formal Meetings
2025 – Workshop/APD Named Project Architect | 25R, 27 Washington Street, and 10 Coffin Street Acquired from the Noyes Family | $7M Raised Toward the Campaign
The MMA Receives Bequest of 5 Quince Street | First Campaign Events Held in Palm Beach and Nantucket, Hosted by the Frisbie Family
2024 – $1M Gift from Nantucket Golf Club | Nantucket Railroad Ticket Booth Preserved and Moved Across the Street for Temporary Storage
The MMA Hires Sami Sinclair/Sinclair Strategies as Capital Campaign Consultant | 100% Board Participation Achieved
2023 – CCS Fundraising Completes Feasibility and Donor Study | Capital Campaign Soft Launch | John Wise Appointed to Head Building Committee
2022 – The MMA Board Votes to Pursue the Discovery Center & Aquarium Project
2021 – Two-Year Lease Extension Granted by the Nantucket Islands Land Bank
2015 – The MMA Determined it Was Not Ready to Proceed With the Project
2014 – Original Plans by Centerbrook Architects Approved by HDC (Take 1)
2012 – Land Swap Deal With the Nantucket Islands Land Bank for 33 Washington Street
Architect
The MMA has selected Andrew Kotchen, Michael Luft-Weissberg and the Workshop/APD team to serve as architects for the project.
Workshop/APD is a nationally recognized architecture firm with more than 25 years of experience working on Nantucket. Known for its thoughtful,
context-sensitive design, the firm brings a deep understanding of the island’s architectural heritage and environmental landscape.
Capital Campaign Leadership Team
Joanna Roche
MMA Executive Director
Amy Young
MMA Development Director
Sami Sinclair
Sinclair Strategies, Campaign Consultant
John Wise
Board Member/ Building Committee Chair
Curt Burwell
Board Member/Building Committee
Supporting the Future of the Maria Mitchell Association
"As passionate supporters of science education, my family strongly supports Maria Mitchell. Their programs spark curiosity for children and adults at a time when learning about our natural world and protecting the environment has never been more important. Nantucket is such a beautiful and special place to build that curiosity. "
- Frances Symes, Former MMA Board Member
"I am grateful that the MMA is accounting for the risks posed by climate change when planning for the new Aquarium. I want to invest in a place where I can bring my grandkids, and they can bring theirs."
- Dave Frisbie, MMA Supporter