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Museum outlines plans for 1,700‑sq‑ft Young Explorer Center, targets early‑mid 2027 opening

Virginia Museum of Natural History Board of Trustees · November 16, 2025

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Summary

Trustees reviewed detailed plans for a roughly 1,700‑square‑foot Young Explorer Center that would convert library space, remove existing Space‑Saver shelving under contract, and introduce modular, rotating hands‑on exhibits for ages 3–9; staff cited a target opening in early–mid 2027 and asked trustees to participate in an exhibits subcommittee.

The Virginia Museum of Natural History on Nov. 15 presented preliminary plans for a new Young Explorer Center that staff said will repurpose about 1,700 square feet of gallery/library space and prioritize flexible, rotating interactive elements for children ages roughly 3 through third grade.

Presenter (S5) and Jennifer (staff) described the first construction step as removing existing shelving under contract with a vendor identified in the meeting as Patterson/Space Saver; material will be disassembled and moved to an offsite Douglas storage location while the space is reconfigured. Staff emphasized movable exhibit elements to keep the space fresh and adaptable, but said some features will be fixed once priorities are set.

Design ideas discussed included turntables on wheels, a tactile black wall, a wind/vacuum column, smaller water features, large soft-play "big blue blocks," and dinosaur‑themed modular puzzles. Staff stressed aligning some elements with Virginia Standards of Learning where appropriate to support school visits and described in‑kind scanning support from a local hospital to aid exhibit research and preparation.

The project timeline in the meeting targeted an early–mid 2027 opening, with trustees asked to provide vendor suggestions and to participate via an exhibits subcommittee under the education committee. No construction contract or final budget was approved at the meeting; staff said decisions on fixed versus movable elements and final vendor selections will follow further trustee feedback and foundation prioritization.