SRT representatives presented a ceremonial check to the Magic City Discovery Center signifying its $100,000 donation announced in 2021. SRT also designed and configured the wi-fi and internet network system throughout the building to fit the Magic City Discovery Center’s needs. Crews then installed several wi-fi access points. The in-kind labor, equipment, and maintenance work are valued at $50,000.

Cassidy Hjelmstad, SRT CEO/general manager, said the center will bring value to Minot and surrounding communities.

“We are on the verge of something fantastic for our community,” she said at the check presentation.

“The Magic City Discovery Center is not only a great place for families to have fun,” she added in a prepared statement. “It’s also an opportunity for kids to discover STEAM in a unique way. This beautiful science center stands as a testament to the importance of educational adventure.”

MDN Photo Liz Weeks, education and outreach director, demonstrates the use of a rope in an interactive exhibit at the Magic City Discovery Center Tuesday. Photo by Aaron Chen

Construction on the new children’s science museum began in May 2021. It features 12 galleries and more than 150 interactive exhibits. Opening is expected sometime this spring.

Center staff provided a tour that included a chance to try out the numerous exhibits already installed, such as the grain gizmotron, with its pulleys, cranes and conveyors, and the ball wall with its adjustable mazes for balls to travel. From water to light and sound, the exhibits proved not to be just for youngsters but capable of enthralling adults.

MCDC Executive Director Wendy Keller said seven of the areas are largely complete. Much of the work remaining is on the magic climber – the feature piece with an oil derrick and B-52 plane.

The center has been selling memberships, seeing a surge of interest just before Christmas, Keller said. It also continues to accept donations from business sponsors for an interactive entry display. Sponsorship levels begin at $5,000, which can be pledged over time.

Keller said the center’s new discovery guide supervisor joins the staff today, leaving just the hiring of center guides as the only staff members still being sought.

Before the center opens to the public, MCDC will hold soft openings for charter members and some of its donor groups, giving the facility a test run, Keller said. She said staff are finding areas that need adjustment once exhibits are set up and the reality of how things work and children play comes into focus.

Keller said the center plans to host as many school field trips as it can fit in after opening this spring and has rental parties on a waiting list for scheduling once an opening date is set. The center will be available for private events such as birthday parties and wedding receptions as well as business functions. Adults will be able to visit without a child in tow, and center staff are eager for assisted living centers and other senior groups to plan visits.

“There’s something magical, I think, when you get all of those generations together,” Keller said. “A lot of learning can happen – and a lot of just plain fun, too.”

Information on admission and future hours are listed on the website at magiccitydiscoverycenter.com.