Fort Collins Museum of Discovery

Fort Collins Museum of Discovery
Established 2008
Location Fort Collins, Colorado
Type Local History and Science
Director Cheryl Donaldson
Executive Co-Director
Donna Jared,
Executive Co-Director
Curator Linda Moore,
Curator of Collections
Website Fort Collins Museum of Discovery

The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery (formerly the Fort Collins Museum & Discovery Science Center) is a partnership of two educational institutions that merged in 2008 to create a combined science and cultural resource for Fort Collins and northern Colorado.

History

Fort Collins Museum

The Fort Collins Museum began as the Pioneer Museum in 1941 with the help of the Indian Relic Hobby Club, the Pioneer Association, and the Daughters of Colorado Pioneers. Operated by the City of Fort Collins, the Museum's first curator was Clyde Brown, a member of the Indian Relic Hobby Club and a Fort Collins native. In 1976, the Pioneer Museum relocated into the old Carnegie Library building and became the Fort Collins Museum. The Museum has evolved into a regional center focusing on area history and culture.

The Fort Collins Museum's collection totaled over 30,000 artifacts, including a significant collection of Folsom materials from the Lindenmeier Archaeological Site north of Fort Collins, agricultural implements, household necessities, paintings, and clothing, reflecting the diversity and values of the peoples of the Cache La Poudre River Valley. Multiple galleries featured temporary and permanent exhibitions, and four historic structures – three cabins and a schoolhouse – resided in the outdoor Heritage Courtyard, including "Auntie" Stone's cabin, the oldest cabin in the Fort Collins area. The Museum also offered a variety of on-going programs and educational opportunities and was home to the Local History Archive.

Discovery Science Center

Discovery Science Center was founded in 1989 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to provide enjoyable, hands-on explorations in science and technology for the region. It housed more than 120 interactive exhibits designed to engage learners of all ages, offered an array of planetarium shows, overnight camp-ins, and classes, and made these resources highly accessible by providing scholarships and free family memberships to qualified participants.

Discovery Science Center fostered science literacy among the community's school-aged children by providing challenging, enriching opportunities in hands-on science education, helping ensure that they develop a passion for lifelong learning. Beginning in 1993, Discovery Science Center also hosted the Poudre School District's annual Science Fair.

Partnership

In 2005, Fort Collins voters passed a "Building on Basics" tax package,[1] which approved and provided funding for the merger of the Fort Collins Museum and Discovery Science Center. Since then, the two institutions have been focused on planning, developing, and establishing a public-private partnership that will bring together these two cornerstone cultural organizations. At the core of the planning process is the museums' partnership promise: to deliver an exceptional visitor experience while fulfilling the mission of each museum. Designed with a seamless experience as the goal, visitors will explore and engage in exhibits and programs that unite science and culture in unique and thought-provoking ways.

On May 30, 2009, Discovery Science Center closed its former location at 703 E. Prospect Road in Fort Collins and re-opened on June 30 in the Fort Collins Museum building, at 200 Mathews Street.

On October 30, 2011, the Fort Collins Museum & Discovery Science Center closed to the public to begin the moving process to the new 47,000 square foot museum facility at 408 Mason Court. The museum re-opened to the public on November 10, 2012 as the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery, featuring 16,000 square feet of permanent and changing gallery space, two fully outfitted classrooms, an expanded Local History Archive, and a digital dome theater. The museum provides hands-on explorations in science and technology and houses both historical and scientifically themed exhibits relevant to Fort Collins and the northern Colorado area.

References

  1. ↑ FtCollinsGov.com - Downtown Fort Collins: BIG IDEAS

Coordinates: 40°35′06″N 105°04′25″W / 40.5849°N 105.0737°W / 40.5849; -105.0737

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