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Early Works CEO outlines museum upgrades, STEM exhibits and outreach as attendance rises
Summary
At the Feb. 27 Huntsville City Council meeting Early Works CEO Beth Goodwin described completed and planned upgrades to the Early Works Children's Museum and Alabama Constitution Hall Park, including STEM-focused exhibits and grant-supported additions that she said helped drive a 12% attendance increase.
Beth Goodwin, newly installed CEO of Early Works Museums, told the Huntsville City Council on Feb. 27 that the museum is undergoing facility upgrades and exhibit additions that staff say are driving increased attendance and revenue.
“As the birthplace of Alabama, we have been entrusted with telling the story of statehood and protecting the site of our state's birth,” Goodwin told the council in a presentation outlining work at the Early Works Children's Museum and Alabama Constitution Hall Park.
Goodwin summarized recent and planned improvements: a reimagining of the museum’s layout with assistance from a museum-design firm, new play areas supported by grants from local companies including Toyota Motor Manufacturing, a new toddler area called Little Adventures and traveling exhibits scheduled for 2025 (PAW Patrol was announced as the summer 2025 traveling exhibit). She said that a second phase of reimagining would complete in mid-March and that the museum had recorded a 12% increase in attendance from fiscal year 2023 to fiscal year 2024 and more than 100,000 guests across its two museums.
Goodwin said city appropriations support subsidized attendance programs, special-needs and multicultural programming and outreach to expand access. City Council members thanked museum staff and the board for rapid progress; Councilmember Dr. Robinson thanked Goodwin and staff for the museum’s “energy, your vision, and what you have accomplished so quickly.”
Why it matters: Early Works positions itself as a community education resource and a tourism asset for families; the STEM-focused exhibit changes and traveling shows are meant to broaden the museum’s appeal and sustain attendance growth.
Clarifying details recorded on the meeting record included: - The museum reported a 12% attendance increase from FY23 to FY24 and more than 100,000 guests across two museum sites. - The museum’s phase-two renovation was scheduled for completion in mid-March 2025; summer 2025 traveling exhibit announced as PAW Patrol. - Local corporate grants (including Toyota Motor Manufacturing) were cited as support for new play areas and exhibit updates.
Goodwin and Early Works board members in the council chamber highlighted outreach efforts—subsidized attendance, programs for children with special needs and multicultural programming—intended to reach children countywide. The council expressed support; staff said they will return with more detailed plans as phase-two exhibits are finalized.
