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The number of things that have closed their doors due to the massive and ever-present Coronavirus shutdown is staggering.  I say "things" because at this point it's so many restaurants, stores, museums, etc - I've honestly lost count.  As sad as that is, the current situation of our beloved Sci-Port Discovery Center is even sadder.

Employees worked tirelessly to get ready, that includes figuring out some confusing and ever changing directives from the state on what was required to keep everyone safe -  which boiled down to closing some areas off and near constant cleaning and of the entire complex.  See, officials at this venerated hall of learning (oftentimes disguised as fun) have fought to just get the doors open to the public - only to find that the public wasn't there.  At least, not in the necessary numbers.

The ArkLaTex Homepage is reporting that our beloved science museum has had extrememly low attendance.  Even though Sci-Port qualified for the Paycheck Protect Loan from the Small Business Administration (long exhausted), the STEM-center and home to one of the nicest IMAX theaters in the U.S. won't make enough money to operate if the number of visitors doesn't increase sharply.

If you are hesitant to visit this jewel of Shreveport, take comfort in knowing that your safe and enjoyable experience at Sci-Port is the museum's first priority.  We reached out to Sci-Port Discovery Center's Executive Director, Dianne Clark, who reassured us with this statement:

"We are prepared and ready for our visitors to return to a safe environment.  Guests will enjoy both new and old exhibits as they return to our Center.  We have completely re-designed the 4500 square foot area at the entrance.  This newly renovated space, entitled The Gallery of Intrigue features a first of its kind Adventures of Intrigue exhibit designed in Syracuse, New York and a 1000 square foot interactive mural created and hand-painted by local artists.

 

We understand that some of our citizens are not yet ready to visit the Center; however, we want the public to know that, in accordance with current state safety regulations, Sci-Port Discovery Center has implemented strict measures to ensure a safe and fun learning environment for our guests and staff members.  Because we understand the financial burdens being faced by so many, we have developed deeply discounted pricing.  For a limited time, Sci-Port is offering a $10 general admission fee which includes two hours of exploration in the Center, one IMAX movie and one Adventure of Intrigue. For those who have not visited in the last two years, we want to assure you that we are working very hard to repair and/or replace outdated exhibits as funding becomes available.  During our closure, many of our older exhibits have been repaired and updated.  In fact, a long-standing guest favorite, the Bed of Nails, is back! We look forward to seeing you again soon."

If you love this institution as much as I do, support it in any way you can.

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