The Children’s Discovery Museum in Normal has received a $1 million gift to help open a new agriculture exhibit in 2026.
Museum executive director Beth Whisman announced the donation from the McLean County Farm Bureau at the annual McLean County Chamber of Commerce Agriculture Awareness breakfast on Wednesday.
“This is the largest single gift the museum has ever received, and it makes perfect sense that it would come from the agriculture community that drives so many parts of the Central Illinois economy,” Whisman said.
The lead gift is intended to help the museum jump start a private fundraising campaign, said Whisman, adding the museum foundation is “well over halfway” toward its fundraising goal for the $2.8 million project.
The nearly 5,800-square-foot exhibit, “From the Farm to a Healthy Me,” will include an “Ag Lab” that connects agronomy, weather and soil through STEM instruction; a grocery store and food truck; a ball drop maze that represents the journey of grain from the field; drone simulations and a dedicated toddler place space.
The exhibit will more than double the size of the museum's existing second-floor agriculture exhibit which opened in 2006.
The McLean County Farm Bureau helped develop the museum’s "AgMazing" exhibit and has helped develop the museum’s ag programming since the museum opened in 2004, according to McLean County Farm Bureau President Brian Dirks.
“Our gift to help update and renovate the agriculture exhibit represents one piece of our ongoing commitment to supporting agricultural education in our community," Dirks said.
The Normal Town Council on Monday approved the project. The museum foundation will reimburse all costs to the town.
The museum previously used $700,000 in foundation funds for designs, content development and other preliminary work on the project.
