Having raised $7M in its capital campaign, EcoTarium to start construction on 8.3K-sq.-ft. expansion

Rendering of the outside of a gallery building with solar panels on top

Image I Courtesy of the EcoTarium Rendering of the EcoTarium's traveling exhibit gallery

Write a Comment

Worcester science and nature nonprofit museum EcoTarium will break ground on its first expansion project since 2000, as the museum plans to construct a 8,300-square-foot traveling exhibit gallery.

Equipped with a rooftop solar array, the new exhibit gallery will feature 6,300 square feet of gallery space and 2,000 square feet of supported spaces, according to a Tuesday press release from the EcoTarium. With construction expected to take approximately 10 months, the exhibit space is slated to open in the fall of 2025.

Funding for the exhibit’s construction is provided by the EcoTarium’s Third Century Capital Campaign, with the museum having raised more than $7 million toward its $11-million goal.

“We are grateful for the generosity of local foundations and families who are contributing to this exciting and impactful project which will ensure a sustainable Museum for all,” Joseph Bartulis, chairman of the EcoTarium Board of Trustees, said in the release.

Aspects of the new exhibit hall’s will realize some of 1969 designs of Edward Durell Stone, the architect who designed an EcoTarium facility opened in 1971, according to the Ecotarium’s website.

“The new exhibit gallery at the EcoTarium will enable the Museum to offer Worcester and Central New England communities immersive, world-class, large-scale exhibitions for the first time in our 200-year history,” Noreen Johnson Smith, EcoTarium president and CEO, said in the release.

Boston-based Annum Architects has been selected to design the exhibit gallery’s architectural plan, and Canton-based Timberline Construction will serve as the project’s general contractor.

Following the exhibit gallery’s completed construction, the Ecotarium will move on to its next project: establishing an Early Childhood Science Learning Center offering interactive exhibits to help teach preschool science projects to children 0-6. The center is expected to be completed by 2027.

The EcoTarium nonprofit – officially called The Worcester Natural History Society – generated $5.6 million in annual revenue and $20 million in assets at the end of fiscal 2022, according to its most recent financial filings available via the nonprofit data provider Guidestar.

Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.