FRIDLEY, Minn. – (Aug. 4, 2016) – Springbrook Nature Center in Fridley has been under construction for many months but last weekend the public got their first look inside the new $5.5 million expansion. “Springbrook Nature Center just opened the doors on July 30 with an all new interpretive center,” said Springbrook Nature Center director Mike Maher. The large project was a remodel and expansion of the old building but the transformation makes it feel like a completely new building.
“People who have come through here when we’ve told them they say where did the old building start and where did it end, so I think the architects on the project did a really great job of making it a seamless final appearance. That building was 5,000 square feet and a lot of that was storage and other things and we’ve just vastly expanded the public visit space. We’ve expanded the classroom and multipurpose space and just the basic amenities of having nice large restrooms and those comforts that people would look for we’ve got a great seating area with a fireplace. It’s just really a welcoming open space now that people will really enjoy,” said Maher.
The new interpretive center feature many interactive exhibits that Mike has been planning for the last two years. “Coming in and watching families interact with these exhibits has been one of the most gratifying experiences for me, kids are just loving these. We really try to make the exhibits appeal to all ages. So we have some basic touch tables so kids can pick up a deer antler and look at it really closely but their is also exhibits that would appeal more to adults. Their is an exhibit on the 1986 tornado that came through Springbrook Nature Center that has community interviews and Paul Douglas, meteorologist, did a series of interviews. It’s really a huge range of things that appeal to all ages with the exhibit so that for me has been the most exciting part about opening the doors is watching the public interact with those,” said Maher.
The new interpretive center at Springbrook Nature Center is open 7 days a week from 9am until 5pm.
