A Titanic-themed gala next month will raise funds for the Johnsville Centrifuge and Science Museum in Warminster, supporting both its STEM-based educational programs and a planned expansion of its facility.
The event, titled “A Night To Remember,” is scheduled for Saturday, April 11, from 6 to 10 p.m. at Philmont Country Club in Huntingdon Valley. Proceeds will go toward the museum’s capital campaign aimed at growing its footprint and enhancing public access to exhibits and programming.
Tickets for the event are available here, starting at $170 per person.
Organizers said the evening will feature a seven-course meal, period music performed by members of the Warminster Symphony, and a display of Titanic artifacts on loan from a private collection.
Guests are encouraged to dress in Edwardian-era attire as part of the immersive experience.
The program will also include remarks from guest speaker and actor Lewis Abernathy, known for his role in the film “Titanic,” who is expected to share insights on the making of the movie as well as his real-life experiences exploring shipwrecks.
The fundraiser will directly benefit the Warminster-based museum, which preserves the legacy of the former Naval Air Development Center, a major Cold War-era research facility that helped advance aviation, aerospace medicine and early space exploration.
The site was home to more than 30 research laboratories and played a key role in developing technologies that still impact modern life, including early work tied to flight data recorders, aerospace materials and navigation systems. Its human centrifuge facility, completed in 1949, was used to test the limits of human tolerance to G-forces and helped train astronauts for the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions.
Today, the museum maintains exhibits at the John Fitch Steamboat Museum on Newtown Road in Warminster, where visitors can view artifacts such as the original centrifuge training capsule and the “Iron Maiden,” a device used in high-G-force experiments.
The museum is open to the public from noon to 3 p.m. on the second Sunday of each month, with private tours and educational programs available.
Founded to preserve the region’s contributions to aerospace innovation, the museum also focuses on inspiring future generations through STEM education, offering outreach programs for schools, community groups and organizations.
Officials said the April gala is a key part of those efforts, bringing together history, community support and fundraising to help ensure the museum’s continued growth.
