Arizona Science Center grew from a pilot science center conceived in 1980 by the Junior League of Phoenix into a major downtown Phoenix museum known for hands-on exhibits, daily demonstrations, a giant-screen IMAX theater, and shows in the Dorrance DOME. It opened in 1984 as the Arizona Museum of Science and Technology in a modest storefront space and quickly drew strong public interest, helping spur expansion into its current 120,000-square-foot home, completed in 1997 and designed by Antoine Predock. The center also developed recurring programs such as Snow Week, maintained an educational amateur radio station, and in 2009 began showcasing the neighboring Phoenix Museum of History’s collection.