Discovery Playhouse cancels Sunday preview to allow continued construction

The Discovery Playhouse will not be open as planned for a preview Sunday during the Parade of Lights, museum board president Martha Brown said.

The Board of Directors of the Southeast Missouri Children's Museum decided against the open house because of safety concerns and a need to keep up construction momentum, Brown said. The museum at 502 Broadway is expected to open in March, and construction is proceeding faster than anticipated, she said.

"The good news is that the construction is such that we are really doing so well with that that we just want to get that finished so we can open in March," Brown said. "It will be better and safter for the kids not to be in there in the state of construction."

The Discovery Playhouse began in a storefront in West Park Mall before organizers decided to move it downtown. Fundraising was aided by a grant of tax credits under the Neighborhood Assistance Program. More recently, the Cape Girardeau City Council awarded up to $68,000 in city tourism tax funds as a match to money raised from other sources to pay for operations after the museum opens.

The Parade of Lights begins at 5 p.m. Sunday at Capaha Park and proceeds eastbound on Broadway to Main Street. Museum directors had hoped to open the museum for viewing before and during the parade.

"It was just to show people we are here and working very hard," Brown said. "But we are very encouraged by the rate of progress. It is very exciting."

rkeller@semissourian.com

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