BANGOR — Maine Discovery Museum is set to begin constructing a new immersive exhibition featuring the Penobscot River watershed. The redesign will bring new, engaging science and discovery opportunities to the museum and is set to open in March of 2023.
Currently, Museum visitors will find that the demolition of the well-loved River and Aquaculture exhibits has already been completed to make room for the new installation. The new space will feature a variety of play and education experiences, ranging from Maine culture and history to water cycles to new and exciting eco-science exploration.
Executive Director Kate Dickerson explains, “We’re grateful to the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service for supporting this exhibit update through a grant. Thanks to grants and donations from our community, we can do renovations like this and continue to provide fun, hands-on exploration and learning opportunities for our patrons. We think it’s especially important that MDM provides updates like this, with a grounding in science, since the average American spends less than 5 percent of their life in classrooms – and that’s all classrooms, not science classrooms.”
Autumn Allen, director of museum operations, notes, “We are thrilled to have a long-awaited blank canvas for our new Penobscot River watershed exhibit. This is the largest of five new exhibits our team is working on. As a 501c3 non-profit, new exhibits and programs truly are not possible without the support of our generous sponsors and community donors. We hope everyone is as excited as the MDM team is about ALL the amazing things happening at the Maine Discovery Museum.”
Dickerson explains, “As only 20 percent of our annual budget comes from admissions, the Maine Discovery Museum team must raise funds each year that our critical to fulfilling our mission. Whether through fundraising events, like our upcoming reDiscover the ‘90s Party and travel raffle, or through donations to our annual fund — every dollar helps.”
Maine Discovery Museum offers everyone a chance to choose their own adventure with a travel raffle! For just $25, you can win a Cancun Paradise Vacation, an Exploration of Key West, or an Ultimate Pro Sports Fan Getaway. With a suggested retail value of $4,500, it’s a great way to support MDM and start thinking about your vacation discovery.
Tickets for the travel raffle are available online at www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/gala.