Daryl and Machele Somerville and family have agreed to donate $100,000 to the Magic City Discovery Center to sponsor the “Magic Staircase,” the discovery center board of directors has announced.

The staircase will wrap around the iconic two-story Magic Climber. The staircase will be a gathering place for parents and grandparents as they watch their children explore the climber from the lower-level prairie dog burrows, through the oil derrick, all the way to the B-52 at the top. The view will be unprecedented looking over the Souris River Valley from Minot’s North Hill.

“While we no longer live in Minot, the Magic City will always hold a special place in our hearts and be ‘home’ for our family. It was important for us to support our community while we lived there and we continue to want the best for Minot,” said Daryl and Machele Somerville. “We believe the Magic City Discovery Center will be a valuable resource for the community and are proud to support this project. Through exploration, observation and play, children will be provided a multitude of learning opportunities and immeasurable fun. Education is a vital part of a child’s development and we are so excited that Minot will have such an amazing Discovery Center to provide just that.”

“The Somerville family has been active in the Minot community for many years. We thank them for their generous support,” said Karen Rasmusson, board president. “After working toward our goal for seven years, we are thrilled to begin construction next month on this one-of-a-kind discovery center.”

Construction of the 22,000-square-foot building on North Hill will begin in May, and the grand opening is expected in late 2022.