LR museum plans Aug. 21 reopening

The Museum of Discovery, which closed for more than six months for repairs and renovations, reopens to the public Aug. 21.

Several boiler pipes burst on the museum roof and flooded the building following a mid-February freeze, causing approximately $7 million in damage.

The reopened museum at 500 President Clinton Ave. in Little Rock offers an expanded Tinkering Studio and animal care facility that can be viewed from a large bay window. Both spaces will allow for guest-staff engagement and public programming.

A variety of new interactive exhibitions, replacing those destroyed by the flood, include “Mystery of the Mayan Medallion,” an immersive archeological adventure; “How People Make Things,” based on Mister Rogers’ factory tours; “Dinosaurs: Fossils Exposed,” with replicas of dinosaur bones and fossils; and “Magnificent Me,” a hands-on look at the human body.

The exhibitions are temporary, said museum CEO Kelley Bass, while the museum develops new permanent exhibits.

“We are in the middle of the design phase of this process and expect our new exhibits to be installed in about two years,” Bass said.

Guests must purchase opening-weekend tickets in advance to ensure limited crowds and allow social distancing. Tickets will be available in two-hour increments — 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. Saturday and 1 and 3 p.m. Sunday — via museumofdiscovery.org. Patrons won’t need advance tickets for the Aug. 20 soft opening.

The museum, following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations, is encouraging all guests 2 and older to wear proper face coverings.

The museum plans to resume its pre-pandemic hours: 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 15 p.m. Sunday. Admission prices will remain $10 for adults, $8 for children 1-12, $2 for SNAP recipients and free for children younger than 1 and museum members.