Stemcell Science Shop Inside Discovery Lab Offers Unique Retail Experience

Stemcell has taken over the gift shop inside Tulsa's Discovery Lab.

It opened in February 2024 and has everything from authentic fossils and NASA artifacts to high-quality equipment like telescopes and beakers.

Director of Education for Discovery Lab, Chip Lindsey said, "It is the science store that I wished that I had when I was a kid."

That is something he has in common with Terry Mudge, the Founder and Scientific Director of the Stemcell Science Shop.

"The store I always wanted to walk into never really existed, so I just made what I wanted to see in the world, and here it is," said Mudge.

Kids love coming to Discovery Lab to learn and play, but now that does not have to stop at the door.

"Truly, it is an opportunity to take a little bit of Discovery Lab home with you and do the science for yourself," said Lindsey.

The shop covers all different types of science with tools for astronomy, chemistry, paleontology, and more.

However, Mudge said it is more like a shoppable museum.

"You can find actual prehistoric fossils, artifacts from insane machines like a particle accelerator," he added.

It is also the only place in Tulsa selling sea urchins and authentic Sahara Desert Sand.

"It has taken us years to build up these networks of suppliers and collectors who have these items, so it is no easy task sourcing them," said Mudge.

These unique STEM products reach far beyond Tulsa, too. Each one is incorporated in Stemcell's subscription box called "Matter" that ships to thousands of people every month.

To learn more about Stemcell and its products, visit their website here.

The store is open during normal Discovery Lab hours; however, museum admission is not required to visit the shop.