This story was updated at 6:55 p.m. on May 20, 2022, to clarify that the old location in the library will remain open for some programming
KID Museum is opening Sunday in its new home at 3 Bethesda Metro Center, the museum has announced.
Last year, the museum announced that it had acquired 28,000 square feet of space in the downtown Bethesda building Cara Lesser, the founder and director of the museum, said at the time.
The museum is currently in a 7,500-square foot space in the bottom of Davis Library. Some programming will remain in the old space after the museum moves into the new space this weekend, spokeswoman Kisella Cardenas said on Friday.
Lesser told Bethesda Beat last year that the smaller space in the library made providing hands-on learning in science and technology difficult. Montgomery County provided more than $1 million in funding for the acquisition and renovation of the new space, according to county’s capital budget.
The new museum, near the Bethesda Metro, will offer activities including coding, robotics, electronics, textiles, woodworking and 3D printing, according to a press release.
“Our new space will exponentially expand our capacity to deliver hands-on programming to more than 500,000 students, families and educators in the greater Washington region over the next five years,” Lesser said in the press release.
The museum plans to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2 p.m. Saturday. Among those who plan to attend are U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-District 8), County Executive Marc Elrich, members of the County Council and Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Monifa McKnight.
According to the press release, more than half of students who participate in KID Museum programs are from under-resourced communities, or from Title I schools — those with a high percentage of low-income families.
“Our partnership with KID Museum has been powerful for more than 24,000 students,” McKnight said in the press release.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have KID Museum in our community as a place where innovation happens and look forward to continuing our partnership that will expose students to increasing opportunities in a unique environment,” she said.
Dan Schere can be reached at daniel.schere@moco360.media
