HUTCHINSON — An extensive renovation project is underway at the Cosmosphere. The project includes construction of the CosmoKids interactive area, design and construction of a new museum entrance and exit — allowing for increased guest accessibility — upgrades and improvements to the Germany Gallery, and creating a fully interactive area for both the new Liquid Galaxy display and the virtual reality interactive currently available at the entrance of the museum.
“The last significant upgrade date was 1997, so over 20 years ago was the last time people really saw something new,” Cosmosphere President Jim Remar said. “We’ve done some gallery improvements throughout the facility, but this is the first real significant investment and addition of new programming.”
Remar says one of the major additions will be designed for younger visitors. “We’re going to add a new CosmoKids discovery area that will provide hands-on activities for kids two through six,” Remar said. Some other features of the new project include the installation of a new mission simulator for Cosmosphere Camp 2020, featuring a capsule-based simulator and landing vehicle along with new carpet and lighting in the rotunda.
The work will require some areas of the museum to be closed off for a short time. “We’ll close the main entrance in the Germany Gallery and the first part of the Cold War exhibit for a period of time,” Remar noted. “We’ll be looking to get visitors back in there as soon as possible so we will do some rerouting, but it shouldn’t impact the overall experience.”
If all goes as planned, the new renovation and additions will be finished in March of 2020.