Business

Mid-Ohio Valley Foundations – Entertainment: Discovery World on Market looks to grow

Parkersburg and the surrounding area has a place to bring children to learn, and it has plans for growth in the near future.

Discovery World on Market is a nonprofit Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) focused hands-on children's museum, Executive Director Wendy Shriver said.

Discovery World, which is located in a former Masonic temple that was built in 1915, opened on April 2, 2023, and has been attended by 52,000 people from 29 states since then, according to Shriver.

Discovery World has $4.1 million worth of interactive exhibits, each with a theme related to the local area. The exhibits are sponsored by local businesses and include things such as the Ohio River-themed River Adventure and the Ball Factory, which is inspired by Parkersburg's manufacturing history, according to Shriver.

Discovery World also offers programming including Izzy's Kids Club events that teach Science, Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) concepts; Tiny STEAMERS for 2- to 5-year-olds that promotes parents and caregivers interacting with kids on a hands-on STEAM activity; classes; STEAM camps in the summer and during Spring Break; and a makerspace where children can use various equipment such as 3D printers, laser cutters, woodworking tools and more to make whatever they want, according to Shriver.

"That's really the whole point, to introduce STEM to kids at a young age," Shriver said of the purpose of Discovery World on Market.

Discovery World is just getting started, according to Shriver.

On the top floor of the Discovery World building is a theater. The museum has been fundraising to be able to do work on the theater. Some renovation work was started the week of Feb. 14, according to Shriver.

Discovery World will be renovating the theater and bringing it up to date with 21st Century technology, including new audiovisual, sound and lighting equipment, acoustics work and new plaster, Shriver said.

Discovery World will be receiving $300,000 in federal funds to help with the theater work. The museum also had a capital campaign called "Lights, Camera, Action" to help raise the money needed. West Virginia University at Parkersburg donated $75,000 worth of theater chairs for the theater, Shriver said.

Shriver said the next project Discovery World will be working on is an outdoor development. Discovery World purchased the two buildings next to it at 914 Market St. that housed the Wood County Senior Center and other organizations.

They have just started planning for the project and are in the architectural stage, Shriver said.

As part of the project, they will add outdoor space that can be used for children's museum programming and exhibits. The exhibits will most likely be similar to the ones in the children's museum in that they will be local area themed, Shriver said.

They will have a separate capital campaign for the outdoor space. They are just starting to think about ideas for it and will probably have focus groups to get input, Shriver said.

Discovery World will have an invitation-only fundraising gala on June 8 at the residence of the chairman of the board of directors for Discovery World. The funds will go to developing the outdoor space, according to Shriver.

Shriver said that as part of the project Discovery World also plans to build another building at the site to replace the two existing buildings. They are doing this because they are out of programming space already. With a new building they will be able to host additional classes and have more birthday rentals, because currently those are all booked out and there is an appetite in the county for the programming they offer.

"We need more space," Shriver said.

Shriver said they are going to start fundraising for the new building, which will be a $12 million investment.

"We are also looking into potentially changing our main entrance," Shriver said about upcoming changes coming to Discovery World.

To learn more about Discovery Word on Market and the programming it offers, to donate and to sign up to become a member, go to https://www.dwonmarket.org/.

Michelle Dillon can be reached mdillon@newsandsentinel.com