Museum of Discovery offers science and history, shatters visitor projections

By: Steve Wednesday September 4, 2013 Tags: Annette Geiselman, Cheryl Donaldson, Fort Collins, Kevin Jones, OtterBox


By Steve Porter


InnovatioNews


FORT COLLINS - The numbers are coming in, and they're looking good.

The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery is approaching its first birthday in November, but already the numbers of visitors flocking to the combination history-museum-and-science-center are shattering expectations.

Annette Geiselman, one of the center's co-directors along with Cheryl Donaldson, said a total of 70,000 visitors were projected for the center's first year of operation based on prior attendance at the Fort Collins Museum and the Discovery Center - two formerly separate city facilities.

By the end of August, more than 110,000 people had come to take in the 47,000-square-foot center's attractions.

"We'll be ending the year at twice our projections," Geiselman said. "I do anticipate we'll be at 140,000 by year's end."

It's easy to see why.

The brand-new, $27 million facility at the north end of downtown Fort Collins - built on the site of a former construction dump -- offers an amazing collection of things to see and activities to do for visitors of all ages.

Annette Geiselman
One of its top attractions is the $2 million OtterBox Digital Dome Theater, a state-of-the-art, five-projector theater that seats 79 for a variety of short films, mainly on science-related topics such as "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe" and "Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure."

Geiselman said the center intends to develop some locally produced films with a special camera that can be played on the theater's five-projector system.

The center is divided into 10 "zones," in which such topics as music, energy, history and innovation are emphasized.

Nature is also given the spotlight, including a den for two black-footed ferrets, a local endangered species. The enclosure includes a cutout window where the nocturnal animals can be observed.

"It's an opportunity to get face-to-face with an endangered species," says Geiselman.

Elsewhere, visitors can set their watches to the center's atomic clock, synched with the atomic clock just east of Fort Collins that serves the world.

The center's music zone allows kids of all ages to play with guitars, drums, a stand-up bass and horns of all types - a popular feature with children.

There's also an exhibit in which a piano can be easily hoisted into the air by a relatively small person with the help of a rope and lever.


"We're used to not interacting with museums," said Kevin Jones, a member of the center's board of directors. "But this takes most of the glass away. So much of this is hands-on."

Geiselman said part of the center requires a ticket, while a portion of it is free.

But she said the center doesn't attempt to rigidly divide itself into its history and science components.

"There's no separation of science and history," she said. "I guess it's kind of hard to describe what we are."

Geiselman said significant planning went into designing the structure. "We benchmarked 30 museums throughout the country to design this," she said.

Geiselman noted that local businesses and volunteers have contributed to making the center shine.

"For example, H-P was a big supporter of the museum and contributed virtually all of the technology," she said.

"It truly is a public-private partnership," added Jones.


Energy conservation is also a big part of the center's focus, with extensive use of solar power, chillers and other energy-saving measures incorporated into its design.

A solar array is offsetting 25 percent of the center's power needs.

"A typical museum uses a ton of power," Jones said. "This museum uses far less off the power grid than its counterparts."

The facility applied for and received a LEED Platinum designation from the U.S. Green Building Council for its energy design features.

Geiselman said the center is making an effort to make sure all local residents can visit without worrying about buying a ticket. She said the center holds free days on the last Sunday of the first month of every quarter through the year. Those months include January, April, July and October.

Jones said the center has come far in its first year, but he sees so much more in the years ahead.

"The beautiful thing about a project like this is that it's just at its beginning," he said. "That's the exciting thing for me, just to be able to stand back and watch it happen."

For ticket prices, hours and more information, visit http://www.fcmod.org/.

About the Author: Steve