ST. JOHNSBURY, Vt. (WCAX) – The Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium is marking a major milestone this weekend, opening the first addition to their St. Johnsbury building in more than a century.
With just days to go before it opens to the public, the Tang Science Annex is a flurry of construction chaos, the Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium’s first new building since 1895.
“It’s been years in the making, we’re so excited,” said Adam Kane, the museum’s executive director. He says the $7 million project will give the museum a new look and feel. “It’s hands-on science exhibits. So, we’re providing a space for kids that’s really engaging and dynamic that they can really get into. And that’s to complement the existing historic museum which was designed as a look but don’t touch museum. That’s just the way it always has been.”
The Fred Mold Hall of Science is the best example of that. Exhibits currently safe under plastic will teach kids and adults about atmospheric sciences like the Coriolis effect, and even earthquakes.
Using blocks, visitors can experiment to create a structure that won’t topple in tremors. “You would experiment and keep going again and again and again until you build a building that is more sound,” Kane said.
That new science annex is also the state’s first mass timber building. The building technique is designed to mimic the strength of steel or concrete but uses more sustainable materials like wood. The laminated wood pieces make up almost the whole building and much of the wood — including eastern hemlock cross-laminated timbers for the ceiling — is sourced from forests in Vermont and New Hampshire. Kane says it showcases the local forest economy and also sequesters carbon inside the building for decades. “We wanted to make sure as we built this building, we embedded the Fairbanks Museum’s mission of environmental stewardship into it,” he said.
What’s also a first for the museum is a new elevator that opens up the second floor, allowing someone in a wheelchair for the first time to explore the entire museum. Kane says while it took years for them to get there, opening up the upper museum to people with mobility challenges was a priority. “I think it allows us to lead and say that accessibility for everyone to as much of the museum as we can is important,” he said.
And on the second floor, visitors will find the new Stockman Gallery, which will feature hands-on engineering exhibits — and during warmer months — their long-running flower table. Outside, the Peter Welch Science Discovery Deck will allow kids to make some noise with musical instruments, and more. “There’s whisper dishes and all sorts of things for kids to get into,” Kane said.
In the basement, the museum is collaborating with the Community College of Vermont, something Kane calls a perfect pairing. “We just can’t wait to show it off,” he said.
And he’ll be able to do that during Saturday’s grand opening to the public.
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