About the David J. Sencer CDC Museum

View the CDC Museum Slideshow

The David J. Sencer CDC Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate, uses award-winning exhibits and innovative programing to educate visitors about the value of public health, and presents the rich heritage and vast accomplishments of CDC. The museum hosts about 90,000 visitors each year, and provides popular educational programs for students and teachers.

Originally called the Global Health Odyssey Museum, the facility was established in 1996 in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 50th anniversary and to coincide with the Centennial Olympic Games. In 2011, the museum was re-named the David J. Sencer CDC Museum, in honor of the longest serving director of CDC.

Mission

The CDC Museum’s mission is to educate visitors about the value of prevention–based public health, while collecting, preserving, and presenting CDC’s rich heritage and vast accomplishments through engaging museum exhibitions, dynamic educational programming, and web archives.

Strategic Objectives

• Support CDC’s mission to prevent disease, injuries and disability and to encourage healthy lifestyles through all stages of life.
• Inform and educate people about public health, demonstrating its relevance and impact on their lives.
• Educate middle–and high–school students and families about epidemiology and the science of public health; encourage young people to consider careers in the many disciplines that comprise the field of public health.
• Serve as CDC’s “public” face to promote the past, present and future work of the agency.
• Make the case for CDC’s commitment to participate in global solutions to international public health challenges.