The Children’s Discovery Museum in Uptown Normal cut the ribbon Monday on its new 2.5-story climber exhibit.
The long-awaited Luckey Climber is an open-air suspended steel playspace, where kids climb up and down black and white molded plastic petals, surrounded by a glass floor. The petals feature embedded color-changing LED lights, which can be seen from the nearby Uptown Circle.
“We can make it dance. We can make it your favorite color for your birthday party. We might even be able to turn it red and white for (ISU) Homecoming,” said Beth Whisman, the museum’s executive director.
The new climber is narrower than the aging predecessor it replaced, allowing more light and better views of Uptown from inside the museum. Children and their families can also walk around the entire climber on the second floor, unlike the old climber, making it a little easier to keep an eye on your kiddos if they need help getting in or out.
The glass floors – providing a see-through view of the lobby below – will be a destination themselves. Whisman said they provide an experience for everyone, including those with mobility issues.
“The glass gives you that sense of being suspended. It gives you an optional thrill. And it means that even if you can’t climb in for one reason or another, you can choose to have the adventure in a different way,” Whisman said. “It’s a much more inclusive consideration for our families that are visiting.”
(Don’t worry if you have a fear of heights: You can experience the climber without ever stepping foot on the glass.)
The climber, first designed back in spring 2020, was made by Luckey LLC, a Connecticut-based firm. The climber – with a steel center – was built in Connecticut, then partially dismantled, and trucked to Normal. Bringing the climber – the only one of its kind – into the museum itself was quite an undertaking, Whisman said.
“We were very, very anxious to see them actually do it. We had to take windows out of our front lobby area, remove the window, so that 2.5-story steel piece (could fit) – it was shoved up the chimney like the Christmas tree from ‘The Grinch,’” Whisman said. “We knew it was going to work, but seeing it actually happen, it was micromovements. Just slowly, slowly.”
The climber cost around $894,000. It was paid for primarily by a state grant, plus additional donated money from the Children’s Discovery Museum Foundation.
A grand opening and ribbon-cutting was set for 9:30 a.m. Monday, with a free memento for visitors with paid admission.
Underpass construction
Another construction project is expected to begin soon just outside the museum: the Uptown underpass. The underpass, located between the museum and Uptown Station, will connect the circle area to Uptown South where town officials are hoping to spur more development.
The museum plans to add a small construction-themed exhibit on its third floor, which will have a birds-eye view of the underpass construction site, Whisman said. They’d like to work with local trades and labor on the idea, she said.
“We do see it as an opportunity,” Whisman said. “We’re going to pilot and just test out some equipment, test out some concepts and hands-on ideas to see if maybe they would have a permanent place here in the future.”
