Discovery Playhouse unveils exhibits at open house today

With all of the hubbub about improvements in downtown Cape Girardeau, one project has flown under the radar, but above the first floor.

While the Marquette Tower, the adjacent H-H Building (to become a hotel) and the newly renovated Rust Center for Media at 325 Broadway are getting much of the attention, and deservedly so, exciting things are happening at one of downtown's jewels just down the street.

The Discovery Playhouse on Broadway will officially introduce to the public today the opening of new second-floor exhibits.

The second floor will feature an airplane, a theater and an art studio as just a few of the new features at the children's museum. The grand opening is scheduled from 1 to 5 p.m. today.

"Right now, we're focusing on our big kids," Pansy Glenn, executive director of the Discovery Playhouse, told Southeast Missourian reporter Bridget Brown. Since the museum opened its doors on Broadway in 2010, its focus has been on the 8-and-younger crowd. "This whole upstairs is geared for children 8 to 12."

According to the article, there are four large exhibits on the upper floor. The first is a large 1963 red Cessna airplane that looms large as visitors top the staircase. The Dogtown Press Theater allows children to explore their dramatic side.

Phoebe's Art Studio is an installation that will allow the older children to paint and craft with a variety of media. Children will have access to a "Nebula Strip", a 4-by-8-foot interactive screen that will allow children to play and draw without a mess.

The Tinkering Workshop rounds out the four largest exhibits on the upper floor. Snap circuits, Lego boards, sewing machines, soldering irons and wood-burning kits all will be available for use.

The upper-floor installations are intended for older children. Glenn said she hopes to keep younger visitors relegated to the downstairs exhibits "so we can have all these things out and we don't have to worry about the little guys," she said.

Glenn said a new planetarium will be made available to schools.

The second floor expansion, Glenn explained, was aided by Neighborhood Assistance Program tax credits.

According to Brown's reporting, the tax credits were awarded to the Discovery Playhouse by the Missouri Department of Economic Development. The Neighborhood Assistance Program helps not-for-profit organizations and businesses raise private-sector funds by state tax credits to businesses that make contributions to community improvement projects. The program allows tax credits equal to 50 percent of the contribution value.

The museum's NAP credit program ends at the end of 2016, so there is still time to contribute. Glenn said a major goal is to buy and install a chair lift to the upstairs exhibits.

These are exciting new developments for the Discovery Playhouse. We hope you consider visiting on Sunday, or soon after, to see what the buzz is all about.