The Maryland Science Center, nearing its 50th year of operation, is planning a major refresh, including new and expanded exhibits, a greener entryway and expanded offerings to outlying parts of the state.

The nonprofit gathered board members, employees, elected officials and other stakeholders Wednesday morning for a presentation on its $10 million plans, while also looking back at the impact the Inner Harbor attraction has had on generations of Maryland children.

“But we can’t rest on those laurels,” said President and CEO Mark Potter. “Our community demands an ever-changing informal science experience.”

Potter said those changes — aimed at coinciding with its 50th anniversary in 2026 — will include a new 5,000-square-foot exhibit on space, a renovated exhibit on dinosaurs and an expansion of its popular problem-solving workshop, The Shed. A rebuilt entryway to the science center will feature more green space and shade and less hard surfaces, he added.

The changes are all possible thanks to a $10 million fundraising campaign, which has raised about $7.5 million so far, according to a press release. Potter said that includes $2 million from the state of Maryland for a much-needed replacement of the center’s HVAC system — which Potter said has already been completed.

When Potter introduced Senate President Bill Ferguson, he asked the Baltimore Democrat to take a deep breath and savor the fresh air.

Ferguson, whose district encompasses the Inner Harbor, said he has been to the Maryland Science Center about 100 times with his children. He said the science center, the National Aquarium and Port Discovery downtown, form a “corridor of innovation” that is second only to the Smithsonian museums along the National Mall in Washington.

The Inner Harbor itself is slated for an overhaul, though the roughly $1 billion Harborplace plan for new commercial and residential space along the water is tied up in a court battle.

“The science center truly is the heartbeat of the Inner Harbor, which is the heartbeat of a city and a region and a state,” Ferguson told the audience.