|
SOUTH FLORIDA SCIENCE CENTER AND AQUARIUM
CUTS RIBBON FOR NEW ERA OF SCIENCE
Crowds of more than 1,500 line up
before noon to catch a glimpse
of the newly expanded space
(West Palm Beach, FL) Some
things are simply worth the wait! For the first time in
nearly 50 years, the beloved South Florida Science Museum
unveiled a tremendous construction payoff for all its
patient fans and ardent supporters. With a ribbon cutting
ceremony and “Free Community Day,” officials, partners,
supporters and patrons gathered to applaud the newly renamed
South Florida Science Center and Aquarium (SFSCA), and ooh
and ahh their way through its just opened 13,000 square foot
expansion. It was estimated that more than 1,500 visitors
were in attendance – before noon. The ceremony marked the
first time the institution had taken on a major renovation
since 1969.
The new construction expands the
former museum’s footprint by 75 percent to showcase a new
mission and new exhibit halls – including a
4,000-square-foot aquarium, four new Everglades exhibits,
NOAA’s Science on a Sphere, a 6,000-square-foot travelling
exhibit hall built to showcase popular exhibitions like Titanic or MythBusters, an
impressive new landscaped entry plaza, a new front entry
complex, and upgraded visitor amenities. The gathered
officials collectively exhaled when the ribbon was cut,
acknowledging that the exciting expansion was delivered on
time and on budget.
In her address to the crowd, West
Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio applauded the Museum’s great
work in the community by stating, “Not only has the Science
Museum made a huge impact on children up to this point, but
the future is going to be huge.” She continued by
addressing the economic implications the Science Center will
have on West Palm Beach by stating, “This Science Center is
one of the premier institutions in this area and now it’s
going to be a premier institution in the country, and it
will be so attractive to new businesses.”
Matthew Lorentzen, South Florida
Science Center and Aquarium board of trustees chairman,
shared similar sentiments, “When governance and leadership
work together toward a common goal, great things will
happen. The work done to create this new Science Center is
a shining example of synergy, creativity and perseverance.
The South Florida Science Center and Aquarium will be the
anchor institution for informal science education in South
Florida and it is what Palm Beach County deserves. With
solid operating budget surpluses, a successful capital
campaign, a brand new facility and a high-profile traveling
exhibit offering, we are well equipped to succeed in this
new role. We look forward to what the future has in store
for us.”
When the South Florida Science
Museum originally opened its doors in 1961, the region’s
population was 260,000. Currently, the new Science Center’s
60-mile immediate service area population – including all of
Palm Beach County, northern Broward County and Martin County
– totals about 1.5 million residents. Before the expansion
and renovation, the Science Museum served 125,000 visitors
each year. According to data from the Association of
Science and Technology Centers, the Museum was the second busiestscience
center in the nation for its size. Award-winning education
programs, all based on Florida Sunshine State standards,
served more than 45,000 school visitors both on and off
site.
“We anticipate our attendance
will grow by 20 percent after the expansion, reaching
150,000 visitors per year,” said SFSCA CEO, Lew Crampton.
“We arrived at this place by serving as a community-based,
community-relevant and community-centered organization, and
we operated at all times as an essential part of our
region. When the doors open today,” he continued, “we will
have a new name and a new brand.
“Our new mission is ‘To open
every mind to science.’ We will operate as a best-in-class
science center serving residents of South Florida with
enriching science education experiences. We will excite
students, teachers and families with an ever-changing array
of exhibits and programs, partner with local school
districts to ensure that teachers and students in South
Florida are among the most scientifically literate in the
United States, work with universities and research
institutions to communicate and promote the scientific
achievements occurring in the region and help prepare our
local workforce for jobs in science, technology, engineering
and math.”
The former South Florida Science
Museum spent the past year and $5 million in capital
campaign funds on increasing its exhibit space, tripling the
size of its aquarium and adding new permanent exhibits
including Science on a Sphere and a hurricane simulator. The
new science center has grown from 20,000 to 30,000 square
feet and visitors will see changes from the moment they park
at the new South Florida Science Center and Aquarium – with
new signage reflecting the new name and new mission, and a
completely new façade and entrance.
The first blockbuster exhibit to make a splash in the newly
expanded space is Savage Ancient Seas – which allows
visitors to explore the water world of the late Cretaceous
period. The exhibit hall is currently filled with huge, 70
million-year-old carnivorous marine reptiles, with
double-hinged jaws and teeth; gigantic flesh-eating fish,
big enough to swallow an adult human being whole; flying
reptiles, with three-foot skulls and the biggest sea turtles
to have ever lived.
Founded in 1961, the new South
Florida Science Center and Aquarium features fun and
educational programming for all ages. In addition to new
features, the Science Center has retained some of its most
popular hands-on exhibits – a digital planetarium,
observatory, in-house Subway restaurant and more. New
pricing at the SFSCA, effective on Saturday, June 8, 2013,
increased for non-members to $13.50 for adults, $12 for
seniors 62 years+, and $10 for children 3-10 years. Visitors
should please note, planetarium and miniature golf are not
included in the general admission price, and an additional
fee for access to premier exhibits may be incurred
(typically during the months of November through April.)
Membership and special events like “Science Nights”
(formerly Nights at the Museum) are offered at discounted
rates.
For more information about the
South Florida Science Center and Aquarium, visitors should
please call 561-832-1988 or visit
www.sfsm.org or
visit in person at 4801 Dreher Trail North; West Palm Beach,
FL 33405.
|