Highlands Museum and Discovery Center facts for kids
 |
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Established | 1984 |
|---|---|
| Location | 1620 Winchester Avenue, Ashland, Kentucky 41101 |
| Type | Heritage center, Science center |
| Public transit access | Ashland Bus System |
The Highlands Museum and Discovery Center is a cool place in Ashland, Kentucky, United States. It's like two museums in one! It's a heritage center, which means it shows off local history. It's also a science center, with fun, hands-on science exhibits especially for kids. The museum also offers special learning programs for schools and groups.
Contents
Discovering the Museum's Past
How the Museum Started
The Highlands Museum and Discovery Center first opened its doors in 1984. Back then, it was called the Kentucky Highlands Museum. It was located inside a beautiful old building known as the Mayo Mansion in Ashland.
Moving to a New Home
By 1994, the museum needed more space for all its awesome exhibits. So, it moved to a bigger building. This new home was the former C.H. Parsons Department Store Building. This building is in Ashland's historic downtown area, called the Commercial Historic District. In 1997, the museum got its new name: the Highlands Museum and Discovery Center.
Growing and Changing
Around 2003 and 2004, the museum started making plans to make its spaces even better. They wanted to add more interactive exhibits. These new exhibits would focus on the history of Ashland and the nearby Eastern Mountain Coal Fields.
New Exhibits and Partnerships
The first part of this big plan started in November 2005 and finished in January 2006. The second part began in the fall of 2006. This happened after Perry and Susan Madden, who owned the Parsons Building, gave it to a foundation. This foundation was connected to Ashland Community and Technical College. The museum agreed to stay in the building. It also partnered with the college. This allowed the college to use parts of the building for its own learning programs.
Becoming the Owner
Later, in July 2013, the foundation decided to sell the building. But don't worry! In November 2013, the museum was able to buy the building itself. This means the Highlands Museum and Discovery Center now owns its own home!
