WXXI: Strong Museum Rolls Out Major Expansion Plans (2004-09-22)

Officials at Strong Museum Wednesday outlined plans for a 33-million dollar expansion of the facility. It would nearly double the size of the existing museum, making it the second largest children's museum in the country.

But CEO G. Rollie (like Raleigh) Adams says it's more than just a children's museum.

Plans include a three-story high caterpillar-like tube which will greet visitors as the museum's entrance on Chestnut Street. There will be a new 40-thousand square foot wing with exhibit galleries and classrooms which will be connected to the original building, and a 12-thousand square foot interactive exhibition called "Reading Adventureland."

Seventeen million dollars for the project comes from the museum's own resources, and another 6-million will be raised through a capital campaign. The final 10 million will be financed.

Adams says the expansion should give the area around the museum an economic "shot in the arm." He hopes this will jumpstart other projects for downtown Rochester and the rest of the community.

It would nearly double the size of the museum, adding about 112-thousand square feet of new exhibits. Much of the main building will also be renovated.

Museum officials expect attendance will eventually double once the expansion is completed. Construction is already underway, and the project should be finished by July of 2006.

Adams says when the new wing opens, the price of admission will go up. But he says the price hike will occur due to inflation. He said they would have raised ticket prices by then anyway.