After 950 days, the Exploration Place is once again open for exploration and families wasted no time getting back inside.
The renovation left the building unrecognizable for anyone who knew the museum before, so what are the early reviews?
Sitting by the (fake) campfire in one of the new exhibits, siblings Simon and Bridget both said they love the new Exploration Place.
Simon said the reptile exhibit was his favorite, and Bridget and her stuffy had fun on the new slide. They both agreed that the renovation is a serious upgrade.
Kids like Simon and Bridget, many of them a little too shy to talk, and their parents were all taking in the new sights and sounds in the first hours of the museum’s reopening.
The doors opened at 9:00 this morning (Saturday), and there was a line waiting to get in first.
The reception has been “almost universally positive” according to Julian Lachapelle, an employee at the Exploration Place who was giving tours and information this morning.
“Everybody who comes in, they see the new galleries, they are interested in the things we have to say, I love engaging with the people about the things I have been able to learn here” he said.
Lachapelle has been an Exploration Place employee since he was hired in the spring for a mall pop-up, from then on he has been helping assemble and prepare for the re-opening.
“I have never been this involved with a project before. Seeing it come together, and seeing all the people come through, seeing how happy and amazed they are at the work we have done, it is beyond description.”
Elio, a 6-year-old museum critic, approves of the upgrade – “it is a little better.” He said his favorite part of the museum is “the lizards and the snakes,” and he will definitely be coming back.
His father, Julian, said it would have been nice to use at the museum over the last few years, but that the 950 days closed were definitely worth the end result.
“There was a lot of moving things around, concrete work and sculpting, we had to redo some of the bases on the taxidermies, and we redid all the floors,” said Lachapelle. “I’ve never been a construction worker before, but I think I have merit now.”
He ended by saying “we are so happy to have everyone back. Please feel free to come in whenever you’d like, we would love to see you and we are more than happy to talk to anybody who wants to engage with us.”
For more information on the Exploration Place upgrade, click here.