After many years of dreaming, the new Children’s Discovery
Museum is under construction! The museum has contracted with the local construction company Sheridan Construction, who is completing the renovations needed to give the space a beautiful facelift, transforming the building into a Children's Museum ready to welcome all of our brand new exhibits and soon... you! The renovations Lead Supervisor, Chad, has been amazing to work with, and we recently took some time to get to know him better.
Chad has been in the construction business for 32 years, including the last 11 with Sheridan. He started out building log homes in northern Maine before moving to the Kennebec Valley area and joining Sheridan in 2013. For him, construction is more than just a job—it's about tackling new challenges daily and making a positive impact.
Chad's love for building began as a child, playing with LEGOs, model airplanes, stomp rockets, and Lincoln Logs. It’s not surprising that he ended up working in construction!
The Children's Museum entrusted Sheridan with the task of revamping key areas, from the Exhibit Hall to the lobby, hallway, coat room, and Gathering Hall. The ongoing phase involves demolition, carpentry, finishes, and repairs.
Sheridan has removed the old the carpet and VCT, as well as the steeple. Carpentry work includes crafting oak shelves for bookshelf nooks, and they are repainting, working on drywall installation, and laying down new flooring. The Exhibit Hall is getting a fresh color scheme to align with the upcoming exhibits: City Hub, River Zone, Mill Zone, and Forest Gateway.
Wall and ceiling repairs are addressing damage caused by water from the steeple. The next phase will introduce updates to bathrooms, ramps, and other enhancements, ensuring the building aligns with ADA compliance standards for inclusivity.
The museum is thrilled to be working with Chad and the Sheridan team, and the Museum is on track to become the hub of education and community engagement that it’s been dreaming up.
Thank you, Chad, for being part of the team that is making the new Children’s Museum possible!
Join us!
The building renovations are essential for preparing the building to be our beautiful museum, but it costs money and we are so close to reaching our goal! Learn more about our overall vision and the campaign and consider donating today!