Dulles, US, near Washington DC will be home to a new science centre focusing on educating children in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Plans for a permanent attraction have been under consideration since 2005, with operations temporarily housed at the Center for Innovative Technology in Herndon, US.

A 53,000sq ft (4,923sq m) space in the Kincora mixed-use development has been chosen as the permanent home for the Children’s Science Center. Total investment is expected to be US$40m (£23.8m, €29.3m).

The site’s 150 acres of parkland will also provide children with the chance to explore a heron rookery and go creeking – a type of canoeing.

Building on a greenfield site will allow the museum to construct the facility exactly to requirements, though this will mean the centre will not open for at least five years.

“The Children's Science Center will impact hundreds of thousands of young minds a year; teaching them that important subjects such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics can be fun,” said County Chairman Scott K. York.

He also stressed an emphasis on helping to keep the spark of STEM learning alive past the 8th grade level in the county's education system.