Kids Discovery Factory will temporarily close the mini-museum space in downtown Batesville to complete an exterior and interior remodel during the month of September. The museum building on Sycamore Street will undergo needed masonry repair starting early September.
Staff will utilize this shut down to complete minor interior remodeling thanks to a $20,900 grant from the PNC Grow Up Great Foundation. The grant funds have been used to support a variety of projects and events within the museum space this year, including sensory play experiences and art activities that rotate monthly.
New exhibits for the mini-museum space are on the way! Kids Discovery Factory was awarded a $25,000 grant from Honda earlier this year to support the purchase of two museum-quality exhibits. Soon visitors will be able to play with a Rig-ama-Jig Basic Builder set (www.rigamajig.com) and an Air Rocket Flexcart from exhibit designers Flexhibit. These two exhibits will engage older children in the play and learning experience within the museum.
The outdoor lot will also undergo some updates thanks to an earlier Duke Energy grant, and more recently, a $1,000 Greener Tomorrow grant from the Ripley County Community Foundation. The Greener Tomorrow grant supports the installation of planters along the sidewalk and along the perimeter of the outdoor lot.
The improved space is projected to re-open in early to mid-October. An official re-launch celebration will be scheduled and shared via social media and on the KDF website. While the mini-museum will be closed for visitors, Kids Discovery Factory will still be providing hands-on STEAM learning throughout southeastern Indiana during the month of September. KDF will be at Applefest on Saturday, September 23, hosting the Fastest Kid in Town race and on Sunday, September 24, for hands-on apple-themed fun. More information about Fastest Kid in Town, and racer registration information, can be found online at www.kidsdiscoveryfactory.org/fastest-kid-in-town.