In February 2026, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced its 2025 winners of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. Among the short list of ten awarded institutions is long time partner and friend of the NISE Network, Maine Discovery Museum in Bangor, Maine!
The National Medal for Museum and Library Service is the nation’s highest honor for institutions that make significant and exceptional contributions to their communities. Since 1994, IMLS has presented the award to outstanding libraries and museums of all types and sizes that deeply impact their communities. Maine Discovery Museum is one of just five museums honored in the United States, and the only museum in the Northeast to receive this distinction in 2025. This is also the first time in the 30-year history of the award that a Maine museum has been recognized.
Maine Discovery Museum was honored for its outstanding programming, partnerships, and impact, playing a vital role in downtown Bangor’s revitalization as a statewide hub for informal public science education. The Museum is committed to serving communities all across the state of Maine, and is also a part of Learning Ecosystems Northeast (LENE), a STEM Learning Ecosystem serving the Northeastern United States.
In addition to this award, in 2026 the Maine Discovery Museum celebrates 25 years of discovery, and in March 2026 the museum held its 11th Annual Maine Science Festival, March 25-29, 2026. This festival is an opportunity for all ages to engage in more than 70 free events and activities across five days. There are forums, hands-on activities, workshops, trivia, and more. The festival amplifies the vast impact that Maine scientists and engineers have made to the sciences, while promoting civic engagement through providing a greater understanding of the importance of science in our lives. The Maine Science Festival, a program of Maine Discovery Museum, launched in 2015 and remains the first and only science festival in Maine. In 2026, the festival was named the Nonprofit of the Year by the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce.
If you missed the festival, you can still hear inspirational stories and learn more about the impact of Maine scientists by checking out the museum’s Maine Science Podcast. You can also learn more about the work of Maine Discovery Museum by watching this 2-minute video from the end of 2025 highlighting their work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lvO1j4tnIM
The NISE Network congratulates all the staff and volunteers at Maine Discovery Museum on a very well-deserved honor!
