The Denver Museum of Nature & Science has begun construction of its long-anticipated Education and Collections Facility. The Museum is adding 126,000 square feet and five levels of discovery to its south side, providing even more space to engage, delight, and spark visitors’ imaginations.
“This newest addition allows the Museum to continue inspiring generations to come and will leave a lasting positive mark on our community,” said George Sparks, President and CEO of the Museum. “You will experience, firsthand, the important role science plays in your life. We’ll be able to better conduct new research and provide improved preservation of our community’s treasures, while also continuing to make your Museum experience fun, exciting, and engaging.”
Supported in part by the 2007 Better Denver Bond and scheduled for completion in 2014, The Education and Collections Facility will feature a dedicated, interactive science center for children ages three to five, additional space for engaging science programs and world-class travelling exhibitions, a state-of-the-art preservation and research facility for more than 1.4 million artifacts and specimens, and more.
“Within this exciting new space, children and adults will discover their inner scientists through innovative, hands-on activities you won’t find anywhere else,” said Dr. Bridget Coughlin, vice president of the Museum. “We work tirelessly to nurture and shape each visitor’s inherent curiosity, transforming it into critical thinking and a lifelong excitement about science and the natural world.”
“The unique treasures that tell the natural and cultural history of the Rocky Mountain Region are preserved here for the community, and we hold them in the public’s trust,” said Dr. Kirk Johnson, the Museum’s chief curator and vice president for research and collections. “This new space will consolidate collections currently stored throughout the Museum and provide proper temperature and humidity for the crucial preservation and study of fossils, gems, minerals, zoological specimens, cultural objects, and more.”
The Museum is working with the following partners in constructing the Education and Collections Facility: klipp Architecture, building design; Jeff Kennedy Associates, new Discovery Zone design; EwingCole, Rocky Mountain Science Collections Center design; GH Phipps Construction, construction manager and general contractor; Denver Parks and Recreation, City Park master plan.
