An unexpected construction disruption of the Scramble, a four-story climbing tower that is to be one of the prime attractions of a redesigned and expanded Minnesota Children's Museum, will delay the museum's reopening by a couple of months, officials announced Thursday.
The Scramble will fill a glass addition to the museum along W. Seventh Street and will feature two climbing towers, a spiral slide and a netted catwalk suspended more than 40 feet high. But when the vendor fabricating the apparatus went out of business, museum officials were left scrambling to find another company to finish the job.
The result is that the $30 million project will be finished in June instead of April.
"The Scramble is going to be a fun, safe and challenging experience for children and adults alike," said Dianne Krizan, president of the Minnesota Children's Museum. "We're working hard to ensure that this experience will be everything we've dreamed it would be, while maintaining the highest standards of quality and safety."
The museum will announce dates for grand opening events in the coming weeks.
When completed, the St. Paul museum will feature 10 new exhibits plus a gallery for traveling exhibits, a rooftop terrace and an outdoor space. There will also be a new cafe and store, an additional elevator, more bathrooms and an additional entrance on the skyway level.
JAMES WALSH
