PROVIDENCE – With help from a local philanthropic organization, the Providence Children’s Museum is getting a makeover, requiring the building to be closed to the public until Oct. 6.
A museum spokesperson said The Champlin Foundation, based in Cranston, is providing nearly $80,000 for a renovation of the museum’s administrative office, including a floor replacement project, and a new paint job for significant portions of the property, including an air duct system that snakes around the outside of the building.
“With this funding, The Champlin Foundation will complete the transformation of the Providence Children’s Museum into a modern 21st-century model for other institutions locally and across the country,” said museum Executive Director Caroline Payson. “Through our exhibits, educational programs, outreach projects and new initiatives underway, the museum has steadily modernized its exhibits, systems and programs over the past four years. Now it’s time for the building to catch up.”
An anonymous donation to The Champlin Foundation made this possible, said Providence Children’s Museum spokesperson Annelise Conway. The renovation project at the 100 South St. property also included funds for new television monitors set up as electronic displays in the front lobby of the children’s museum, which serves roughly 200,000 people annually and employs about 26 people.
The Champlin Foundation also provided funding for previous renovations of the museum’s roof and security system, Conway said.
Marc Larocque is a PBN staff writer. Contact him at Larocque@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter @LaRockPBN.