TOPEKA, KAN. — The Kansas Children’s Discovery Center, Topeka’s nonprofit children’s museum, has opened an $11.6 million expansion project that more than doubled the size of the facility from 15,000 to over 30,000 square feet. The expansion includes three large gallery spaces, three learning lab classrooms, a makerspace, café, exhibit construction workshop and other spaces.
The Sunflower Gallery is anchored by an indoor climbing structure, the tallest climbable sunflower in the world at two stories tall, according to a release. Surrounding the climber, visitors will find educational exhibits celebrating Kansas symbols. The gallery also features murals by local artist Sarah O’Keefe, Queren King Orozco and children from Shawnee Heights Elementary School.
The Hall of Bright Ideas celebrates creative Kansans, including historical inventors and Kansas children. The gallery includes an art installation, hand-cranked generator, illumination station and children’s stage.
A 3,000-square-foot traveling exhibit gallery enables the museum to host any traveling exhibit from around the country. The first traveling exhibit is inspired by the art of children’s book author and illustrator Eric Carle.
Three new learning lab classrooms create space for STEAM-based childcare for school-age children. STEAM refers to science, technology, engineering, arts and math. These indoor-outdoor learning spaces connect a teaching kitchen with a garden.
The project was funded by a combination of private donations, corporate gifts, grants, Gage Park Improvement Authority sales tax revenue and operating reserves. Fundraising to support projects is ongoing. Public feedback collected on the project included public informational meetings, an online survey and three community listening sessions open to adults and children.
The expansion is necessitated by multiple years of record-breaking attendance, according to the museum, which opened in 2011.