Have you visited the museum’s Discovery Center recently?  I love it there. It’s a space where you can see kids and adults alike engaged with hands-on, science-based interactives and learning about the land and animals that are part of our lives in Alaska and the North.

It’s also the home of Chomper, our beloved snapping turtle. I love watching the kids (and parents) engrossed by Chomper and his friends and experiencing the “aha” moments that come from learning something new.  If you’re a Discovery Center fan like me, I’m sure you’ve witnessed this as well.

One day recently I took a walk by the marine life tanks, admiring the colorful sea stars and the hermit crabs. I heard a little girl turn to her mother and say “Mommy, can I live here? “

Wow.  In the way only a child can, she shared how well-loved and valued the Discovery Center is to the thousands of youth, students – and maybe even families like yours -- who visit each year.   

To keep inspiring wonder about our home in the North, the Discovery Center is undergoing major changes to focus its content and interactives more on Alaska and the North (but don’t worry – Chomper is staying!). A new phase of updates begins this winter, and we need your help to make these exciting changes a reality. 

The type of magic and wonder that happens in the Discovery Center can’t happen without people like you.

You’ve probably noticed the recent updates to the Land, Sky, Home and Innovation Zones. Next is the Water Zone, with construction this winter and completion in June of 2025, followed by the Life Zone in the coming years.

The Water Zone will look at how water shapes and defines the landscape of our state with an interactive River Table, a chance to surf the bore tide, and to learn about water’s solid form – snow.

The Life Zone will highlight the diverse animals of Alaska and feature an interactive focused on the importance of salmon as a keystone species that greatly impact and contribute to our ecosystem through their stages of life. 

We’re so excited about bringing these updates and improvements to your family and our communities, but we can’t do it without your help.

As a lover of discovery and your museum, can we count on you to help make these exciting changes happen?

 
Thank you,

Ann Hale
Deputy Director, Philanthropy and Endowment