Science Museum Oklahoma

[Pete]

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Information & Latest News

Love’s gives science museum $1M
By Brianna Bailey
Oklahoma City reporter - Contact 405-278-2847
Posted: 07:27 PM Monday, December 5, 2011

OKLAHOMA CITY – Love’s Travel Stops has donated $1 million to the Science Museum Oklahoma. The donation will go toward $30 million in campus and exhibit upgrades the museum is planning over the next five years. The improvements include an eye-catching, modern new museum main entrance designed by Oklahoma City architect Rand Elliott and a major ...
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[Pete]

Love's kicks off Science Museum Oklahoma fundraising campaign with $1M gift
BY CARRIE COPPERNOLL
Published: December 6, 2011

Love's Travel Stops announced a $1 million donation Monday morning to help kick off a capital campaign and $30 million renovation of Science Museum Oklahoma.

A $30 million renovation plan calls for the entrance of Science Museum Oklahoma to be rebuilt into an eye-catching attraction. Photo BY DAVID McDANIEL, THE OKLAHOMAN


Love's kicks off Science Museum Oklahoma fundraising campaign with $1M gift
The donation will be the start of the renovation to the museum entrance and the addition of a permanent exhibit aimed at introducing young children to science, museum officials said at a news conference.


Read more: http://newsok.com/loves-kicks-off-sc...#ixzz1flmyleMi

[Spartan]

Good lord is it desperately needed.

[mcca7596]

I think the front entrance looks pretty good already. IMO, it's the rest of the north facade to the west that is terrible.

[Spartan]

The interior of that entire facility is especially ghastly. It's almost as if it's intended to be the world's largest exhibit of 1970s industrial airport hanger architecture.

[Rover]

Yes, it was built cheaply to get lots of space for not many $. It has served its primary purpose but sure is ugly.

[Bellaboo]

Yes, it was built cheaply to get lots of space for not many $. It has served its primary purpose but sure is ugly.

Thomas concrete products spit out way too much back in the early '80's.

[Plutonic Panda]

Science Museum Oklahoma is preparing to announce a significant grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation.

The museum has scheduled a 10 a.m. Tuesday news conference to note the grant and formally kick off its $25 million capital campaign.

Science Museum Oklahoma to announce grant | NewsOK.com

[AltusBorn]

I wonder what the folks who've been promoting a children's museum in the old Stage Center space think about this development. or if they'll be involved in the planning & operation of this new museum in any way.

[Plutonic Panda]

Science Museum Oklahoma to build 21,000-square-foot children's exhibit | NewsOK.com

[PennyQuilts]

Outstanding! One of my girls worked there/volunteered there while still in school.

[Plutonic Panda]

Another article from News 9.

$12 Million Grant To Help Expand, Upgrade Science Museum In OK - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

[Questor]

I'll say it since no one in the media has... it's a shame that the $22 million they are on track to raise didn't go to the children's museum proposal that would have saved Stage Center.

[ljbab728]

I'll say it since no one in the media has... it's a shame that the $22 million they are on track to raise didn't go to the children's museum proposal that would have saved Stage Center.

While that might have been nice, why would the media say that in reporting a story?

[Snowman]

I'll say it since no one in the media has... it's a shame that the $22 million they are on track to raise didn't go to the children's museum proposal that would have saved Stage Center.

A major obstacle for any Stage Center retrofit is it is so specifically designed to be a theater it is terribly suited for anything else, the vast majority of the square footage is concrete terraces for seating at a 35+ degree pitch, some of which look like they could be load bearing.

[kevinpate]

Having already said my buh byes to SC ever coming back, I have to disagree with the notion it's a shame the funds being raised aren't available to save SC. If memory serves, estimate to make the SC property functional again exceeded 26 mil. However, 22 mil buys a functional children's museum and a bit more under the current fundraising plan for the existing museum expansion.

If applied to SC, the same 22 mil wouldn't even get the building to a point the doors could open to the public as empty, unused space. Given the extreme disrepair that SC was permitted to reach, the shame would be to drop 22 mil and have not a lot to show for the effort.

[kelroy55]

Has anybody been to the Science Museum? It looks pretty interesting. It's been a while since I've visited a planetarium.

home | Science Museum Oklahoma

[Bellaboo]

At one time they had a chunck of the Berlin Wall in there, plus all kinds of cool aircraft and space related artifacts.

[BrettM2]

At one time they had a chunck of the Berlin Wall in there, plus all kinds of cool aircraft and space related artifacts.

I remember that. It was actually a replica. I volunteered there in 1998 while in 8th grade and noticed that the picture of the actual wall had the art work reversed from the displayed exhibit.

[Bellaboo]

I remember that. It was actually a replica. I volunteered there in 1998 while in 8th grade and noticed that the picture of the actual wall had the art work reversed from the displayed exhibit.

I really don't think it was a replica. Robert Hefner contracted to buy it as it was being removed, had it on display in Aspen, Co the following summer, then donated it permanently to the Kirkpatrick Foundation. IIRC. But I could be wrong - anybody know ????

[kelroy55]

I defiantly need to visit the place then. I'm just a big kid lol

[ShiroiHikari]

My husband and I went there just a few weeks ago. It was really fun. We didn't get to do everything though so we'll be going back sometime. I love hands-on exhibits and this place has tons of them. I enjoyed it more than the zoo-- less walking and more things to do.

[Bellaboo]

The Berlin Wall at the science museum, It's the real deal -

The Hefner Collection

[BrettM2]

The Berlin Wall at the science museum, It's the real deal -

The Hefner Collection

That's awesome. That means either my memory is way off or I was told wrong; I honestly don't remember at this point. Good to hear that it was real though.

[Snowman]

That's awesome. That means either my memory is way off or I was told wrong; I honestly don't remember at this point. Good to hear that it was real though.

It is possible they did some replicas later but the sections I saw there said they were originals that were touring several museums across the country, possibly there was some other items with the wall that were replicas.