Children’s Discovery Museum
Opening Day: November 27, 2004
The new Children's Discovery Museum facility was the first new construction project associated with the Uptown Revitalization Plan. Construction of the 34,000 square foot museum commenced in January 2004 and was substantially complete by August 31, 2004. The museum officially opened to the public on November 27, 2004 and over 150,000 visitors came to play and learn within the first year.
Operated as a division of the Town of Normal Parks and Recreation Department, the museum provides quality interactive and educational opportunities for youth of all ages. The new museum located at 101 E. Beaufort Street is designed to complement the existing structures in the uptown area. The Beaufort Street facade gives the appearance of multiple buildings while serving as one larger facility. The west face of the museum overlooks the plaza and provides a unique opportunity to blend internal museum programming with external public plaza space.
The Children's Discovery Museum was designed by Francois Associates Architects of Bloomington, Illinois and constructed by CORE Construction of Morton, Illinois. In October 2005, it received Silver Certification according to LEED requirements. For more information on LEED visit the Town’s LEED Certification page or http://www.usgbc.org/.