About the Museum
Objectives
- To preserve one of our community's rarest and most beautiful historic structures by providing an appropriate and economically viable reuse of the Orpheum Theatre.
- To integrate the preservation of our built environment and the recycling of our historic community buildings into the learning experience of children.
- To provide interactive, accessible science exhibits which facilitate learning for students of all socioeconomic groups.
- To serve as an extension of school learning by providing experiences which may be integrated into the classroom curriculum and by providing demonstration materials and equipment which may be too expensive or bulky for location in classrooms.
- To involve parents in learning activities which will enable them to encourage and assist their children.
- To serve at-risk children and their parents by providing them with a nurturing learning environment in which they can learn the skills and knowledge which often deny them access to science and technology careers.
- To assist downtown Champaign preservation and revitalization.
A Brief History
The New Orpheum Theatre opened on October 19, 1914 as both a vaudeville theater and a "moving picture" house. All the great stars of the Orpheum Theatre Circuit played Champaign, and it was considered to be the finest theater in downstate Illinois. The Orpheum is a one-third scale model of the opera hall at Versailles and one of the earliest designs of the prestigious architectural firm of Rapp and Rapp of Chicago.
The theater closed in 1986. It sat unused and largely forgotten until 1989 when the Preservation and Conservation Association began its campaign to preserve the theater. In 1994 it was purchased by The Discovery Place, Inc. The nonprofit Board renovated 6750 sq. ft. for a hands-on science demonstration museum and opened the doors on December 27, 1994. In 1996 the name was changed to the Orpheum Children's Science Museum.
Phase II, underwritten by grants from the U.S. Geological Survey and Illinois FIRST, was completed in 2000. The vestibule, lobby, and mezzanine were renovated.
Planning is underway for Phase III--renovation of the auditorium and stage.
