Discovery Space Children’s Museum In Need Of Donations, Organizers Say

Even after a money-saving location change, organizers of Discovery Space children’s museum say the facility still needs help from the community before its doors can open.

Group Chairwoman Marty Starling said the museum has not received enough donations from the community to cover the exhibit construction costs. It’s time to “walk the walk,” she said.

“We want the community to tell us if they want this [museum],” she said. “A lot of people say ‘We need this.’ Well, we need more than verbal support. We need people to step up.”

Stepping up means covering the half-million dollars organizers anticipate spending on content for the museum throughout the next five years. Starling would not disclose how much the museum has been given so far, but it isn’t enough to comfortably afford commercial contractors.

As such, the museum’s organizers are turning to the local market.

“We’re looking for fabricators in the community,” Starling said. “We’re looking for carpenters, furniture makers; anyone that’s interested.”

In a previous article, Starling discussed having to relocate the building from 224 S. Allen St. to 112 W. Foster Ave. in order cut back costs. It’s a move she does not regret.

‘I’m just glad we don’t have to fill that big building anymore,’ she said.

Exhibit co-chair Linda Bailey said the theme of the museum is “Discover with Me” and will feature exhibits designed by Penn State graduate students that “provide educational opportunities” for children between one to five years of age.

One of those opportunities is teaching children about nature via the Discover with Me Green Way exhibit, which was developed by Penn State professor Dr. Heather Zimmerman’s environmental science graduate class.

“The Green Way will feature a large tree where exploration, imagination, and learning will be possible,” Bailey wrote in an e-mail last week.

Other exhibits include a tot lot for infants, a farmer’s market and an archeological dig. There will also be a room dedicated to birthday parties and other specials events, Bailey said.

Bailey added that anyone interested in helping construct these exhibits should contact her at lindabbailey@gmail.com

Starling said while she’s been constantly scrambling to get everything pulled together, she’s confident families will be roaming the museum by Christmas of this year.

“We know we’re going to have a museum, it’s just a lot of hard work getting the exhibits done,” Starling said. “We want to give children a place to go and explore a new fun place; to go learn and meet other children there.”