Recently, we wrote about what we hoped for the Orpheum in the future. Unfortunately, we won’t get to see that materialize. Here is the press release:
Dear Community Members,
We had support. We received donations. We earned a PPP loan. We won grants and got support from local organizations. Couples chose us for their wedding venue. Children across Champaign County committed to attend our summer camps. Families made science education a priority by purchasing memberships.
Unfortunately, the efforts that have been made were not enough. At this time, we will not be reopening the Orpheum Children’s Science Museum. We will hold our previously scheduled summer camps. We are upgrading and extending memberships to allow members to visit other museums.
Since March, we have not been able to welcome guests to our museum or our camps. The impact of this pandemic has regrettably been too great. We are saddened and frustrated to be sharing this message; we cannot meet our mission and the maintenance of this historic theatre. As the first step in beginning a new chapter we will be putting the building up for sale.
Thank you!
Thank you to the consistent patrons of the museum. Thank you to the one time donors. Thank you to the people that rented our theatre for an event. Thank you to the community for allowing us to pursue our mission of being a resource for learning and fun. YOU are science educators of the community.
Our community is stronger when we lift each other up. Thank you for years of continued support, you have no idea what it means to us as we navigate these challenges. Please contact [email protected] with questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
OCSM Board of Directors
Janet K. Wattnem
Joe Muskin
Barbara Hug
Aaron M. Sutton
Jared Fritz
Janice Koelkebeck
Brad LaPayne
John Sullivan
Thomas Warda
Top image screenshot from the Orpheum Children’s Science Museum Instagram page.