Imperial Centre for the Arts and Sciences facts for kids
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| Established | 2005 |
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| Location | 270 Gay St, Rocky Mount, North Carolina, United States |
The Imperial Centre for the Arts and Sciences is an exciting museum in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. It's a special place where you can explore both art and science! Inside, you'll find the Maria V. Howard Arts Center, the Rocky Mount Children's Museum and Science Center, and a community theater. There's also the Cummins Planetarium, which is currently closed.
At the Imperial Centre, you can see amazing art and science exhibits. They also host fun theater shows, art classes, and workshops. Plus, it's a great spot for community events. This awesome facility is built on a big site that used to be home to the Imperial Tobacco Company.
A New Life for Old Buildings
The Imperial Centre is located where two important places used to be. One was the city's old Braswell Memorial Library. The other was the Imperial Tobacco Company. This tobacco company was a big deal in North Carolina for about 65 years, starting in the late 1800s.
The company built many buildings between 1903 and 1923. These included warehouses and places to dry tobacco. The main building that is now the Imperial Centre was once called the McDonald Building. It was where the company handled orders and removed the central stems from tobacco leaves. The tobacco company stopped all its operations by the 1980s.
Some parts of the old tobacco factory are still there today. You can see the 180-foot steel conveyor that used to move things overhead. There's also an 80-foot water tower and a 90-foot brick chimney. These old structures are even part of the museum's logo!
Rising After the Storm
In September 1999, a huge storm called Hurricane Floyd hit Rocky Mount. It caused a lot of flooding and destroyed many of the city's cultural places. The downtown Children's Museum and Arts Center were ruined. The Playhouse community theater was also damaged.
After the hurricane, Rocky Mount decided to build a brand new facility. They chose the old Imperial Tobacco site for this new project. This is how the Imperial Centre for the Arts and Sciences came to be. It opened in 2005, giving the community a wonderful new place for learning and fun.
