A night of dining, music and philanthropy in Stockton will also offer something the public has never seen before: the first look inside the planned expansion of the World of Wonders Science Museum.
The nonprofit museum will hold its third annual WOW Gala: Starry, Starry Night on Saturday, November 14, from 5:30 to 10 p.m. at the Stockton Golf & Country Club. While the evening will feature gourmet food, live and silent auctions, music and dancing, this year's gala comes as the museum says its ambitious expansion project is closer to breaking ground than ever before.
For the first time, gala guests will get sneak peeks inside the proposed new World of Wonders Science Museum, including previews of planned immersive exhibits, interactive experiences and innovative learning spaces. Museum officials say significant progress has been made over the past year in planning, fundraising and design.
The previews could provide the clearest picture yet of what WOW hopes to create for families and students throughout San Joaquin County and the Central Valley.
From a Downtown Museum to a Larger Vision
The World of Wonders Science Museum opened in downtown Lodi in 2009 with a mission centered on hands-on science education. Today, the museum offers more than 70 interactive exhibits exploring subjects including energy, electricity, magnetism, optics, engineering and technology, along with camps, field trips and educational programs designed to complement classroom learning and encourage interest in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.
The idea for WOW originated several years earlier when Lodi resident Dan Ingrum returned from a family visit to San Francisco's Exploratorium and envisioned bringing a similar hands-on science experience to the Central Valley. A group of community supporters, many connected to the Lodi Rotary Club, began working toward that goal in 2005.
Now, the organization is thinking considerably bigger.
Earlier expansion plans described an educational campus as much as four times the size of the existing museum, with concepts including an open-air amphitheater, centrifugal-force carousel, pedestrian Science Boulevard, full-size dining facility, science laboratory and additional classrooms.
WOW's current expansion information goes even further, describing a broader WOW Science Plaza vision intended to transform the surrounding downtown area. Plans also contemplate a 100-room Hilton Tapestry Collection hotel integrated with the museum campus and themed around science, creativity and discovery.
Not every element described in earlier concepts should be considered final. That makes the November gala particularly interesting: the new interior previews are expected to show what the project is becoming as planning and design advance.
Investing in the Next Generation
Although the new museum would be located in Lodi, its educational reach is regional.
WOW describes itself as a destination for Central Valley families and schools, with programming intended to supplement classroom science education, encourage interest in STEAM careers and give children opportunities to learn by experimenting, touching and discovering for themselves.
That regional connection also helps explain why this year's major fundraiser is being held in Stockton.
Proceeds from the gala will support WOW's science-education mission and its vision for the future. Individual tickets are $150, with sponsorship opportunities ranging from $1,000 to $10,000. The museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Guests can expect gourmet appetizers and a chef-curated dinner, live and silent auctions, live music and dancing. But amid the festivities, the first glimpses of the museum's future may ultimately be the evening's biggest attraction.
Event Details
What: 2026 WOW Gala: Starry, Starry Night
When: Saturday, November 14, 2026, 5:30 to 10 p.m.
Where: Stockton Golf & Country Club, 3800 Country Club Blvd., Stockton
Benefiting: World of Wonders Science Museum
Highlights: First-ever sneak peek inside the planned new museum, gourmet appetizers, chef-curated dinner, live and silent auctions, live music and dancing
Tickets: $150 per person
WOW Gala information and tickets
The gala's theme may be Starry, Starry Night, but the larger story is firmly focused on the future. What began with a Central Valley family's visit to a science museum more than two decades ago has grown into an effort to create a much larger destination for discovery.
On November 14 in Stockton, supporters will get their first opportunity to see what that next chapter could look like.