TEXARKANA - Workmen have been seen going in and out of Discovery Place in recent weeks, as Texarkana Museums System officials uses the involuntary pandemic shutdown to do some upgrading.
"Discovery Place has been shutdown since March and the COVID closure," said Velvet Cool Hall, Museum System board president. "We had to initially lay off the staff, except for someone to keep things going. We have kept on with our mission with online productions, both live and recorded. But now, we are getting ready for the next step. We have brought back the staff and have hired contractors for that step."
Crews are putting in new carpet and touching up paint in the interior. In addition, they have some new things in the works.
"We are getting in new exhibits and new things for visitors to interact with," she said. "It will be amazing when the time comes to let people visit again."
The COVID restrictions have been loosened considerably. Other properties of the Texarkana Museums System - P.J. Ahern House, Ace of Clubs House and the Museum of Regional History - have opened to the public. But the Discovery Place has remained closed.
"The Discovery Place is more interactive than our other facilities," Hall said. "So that figures into things. Also, COVID has caused complications with our contractors and volunteers. This has all slowed progress in getting it all ready. But it is moving forward. The new opening date has yet to be determined, but things are coming along."
The Texarkana Museum System has a slate of public programming to wrap up the year.
"We invite everyone to visit our facilities," she said. "Also, go by our Facebook pages as well as our website, texarkanamuseums.org/events. There, you can see everything we have coming. Those interested in volunteering opportunities can find that there as well."