Magic City Discovery Center opens its doors

The idea to open a children’s museum came in 2013 when volunteers opened an interim museum inside the Dakota Territory Air Museum. The feedback was so positive that the museum decided to continue.

Funded nationally, locally, privately and by the City of Minot, the N.D. Department of Public Instruction and a Department of Defense pilot program, the center opened its doors to a variety of interactive exhibits aimed to educate students on the world they live in.

In its first year, the center has already attracted guests all the way from Montana, Minnesota and Saskatchewan, as well as from different parts of North Dakota. Visitors regularly come from as far as Williston, Devils Lake, or Bismark to explore all it has to offer.

Wendy Keller, executive director for the discovery center, said, so far, the center has seen more than 56,000 visitors.

Kamden Fitzgerald operates a crane in the construction zone of the Magic City Discovery Center Nov. 15 as his little brother, Keegan, pushes a wheelbarrow.

“We have already had visitors from 37 of the 50 states in the United States,” she said.

“Summer was busier than I anticipated. That was a surprise to me,” Keller said in a November article in The Minot Daily Newsl. Staff were unexpectedly trying to keep up with around 40,000 visitors as of the end of August, the article stated.

The pace slowed once schools went back in session in August. However, activity has picked back up in November with mid-week school field trips, said Keller in the article.

The center offers sensory-friendly events for children who need a quieter environment, and as of July, offers birthday parties.

In addition to all it has to offer to children, it has also been attracting some senior citizen groups, showing it’s not just for youngsters. The center wants to further develop organized date nights with food trucks and playdates for adults with or without children. There are also plans in the making to increase the utilization of rooftop facilities for events.

Fully equipped with 11 full-time staff, the center has seen success with the number of visitors received so far. It also employs a number of part-time staff and has been making plans to launch a formal volunteer program.

Keller says she wishes she would have hired staff sooner to allow more time for training and built in more storage space in the facility.

The discovery center staff will continue to offer classroom visits as well.

“Just because we opened here, that doesn’t mean we’re discontinuing our outreach efforts. We will do some programming here in the center – mini camps, classes, and events,” Keller said in the November article.

Future plans include ideas to construct outside interactive exhibits along the “magic pathway” on the south side of the facility in 2024. The pathway will be open to the public regardless of whether the center is open, the November article in The Minot Daily News stated.

The article added the Minot Park District also holds plans to someday develop the north side of the center into an Overlook Park. Concepts include a splash pad, T-ball field, playground, picnic tables and an amphitheater.

Special events will continue to be held throughout the next year for individuals and families with memberships, the article continued. The center is working to execute corporate memberships, which will enable a business to purchase a membership with passes that employees can then use with their families.

The discovery center recently hosted its annual New Year’s Eve celebration on Dec. 30, hosting a variety of fun learning experiences.

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