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Tulsa Breaks Ground on New Discovery Lab Location

Matt Trotter
/
KWGS

Students from Eugene Field Elementary helped Tulsa break ground Friday on a new location for the Discovery Lab.

The new, 50,000-square foot children's museum will replace the current Discovery Lab in Owen Park and will be more than four times its size.

"The mission of Discovery Lab is to inspire children, connect families, build communities through exploration, exhibits, programming, and play. We use science, technology, engineering, and math to promote meaningful play in our children," said Discovery Lab Executive Director Ray Vandiver.

It will house interactive exhibits that connect with and reinforce ideas related to typical STEM concepts. 

"Tens of thousands of students every year will be able to come to the Discovery Lab, be a part of these amazing hands-on activities that are not a one-time kind of thing, but are actually connected to lessons that they've been engaged with in their classroom," said Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Deborah Gist.

The new Discovery Lab is the start of the Gathering Place's second phase. The $47 million project received $8 million from the recent Vision sales tax package.

"It's pretty great that you have the greatest park gift in the history of the country right next door to what I think will be the best children's museum in the country. What does that say about what we — how we invest in our next generation in Tulsa? I think it says a lot," said Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum.

Construction is set to begin on March 23 and is expected to take about 20 months to complete.