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Outdoor Discovery Center Hits a MilestoneSalem, OR—This summer A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village celebrates the tenth anniversary of the Outdoor Discovery Center located at the heart of Salem’s nonprofit children’s museum. All are invited to wander the wooden maze to the top of the world’s largest Erector Set tower, take a spin down the three-story slide and dig for mammoth bones in the archeology pit on June 14. With free admission starting at 4 p.m. the anniversary party will feature music by the Maharimbas, a commemorative tile project, extended hours until 7 p.m. and a celebration of the largest community-built project in Salem’s history. Known as A.C.’s Backyard, after Salem native and toy inventor A.C. Gilbert, the Outdoor Discovery Center is not just a playground—it’s a 20,000-square-foot extension of the museum’s philosophy that “playing is essential to learning” and an expression of the community’s support. Executive Director Pamela Vorachek, who arrived the winter after the build was complete, says that the community pride is still evident ten years later. “Many people have taken my hand and shown me what they built, painted or constructed,” she said. From blueprint to the final build, the Outdoor Discovery Center involved over 6,500 volunteers who wielded hammers, carried lumber, laid bricks and assisted in what has been called the foremost “grass roots barn-raising adventure” the city has ever seen. Over 1,000 Salem-Keizer schoolchildren assisted in the preliminary design during brainstorming sessions led by Leathers and Associates. Over 340 business partners, including Salem architecture firm Arbuckle Costic, donated money, labor, materials and tools to make this $750,000 dream a reality. In just 19 days, the project, coordinated by Krina Lemons and former Executive Director Ed Sobey, quadrupled the museum’s size with outdoor exhibits that include a crawl-through animal cell, talk tubes that allow visitors to experiment with sound, a tiny global village, an amphitheater with tabletop games, a musical ensemble deck, a wooden replica of a Paddlewheeler and more. Volunteer Darrell Herron, who participated as part of a workplace effort, remembers installing numerous footings for the play structure. “Look at it,” he said during a recent visit to the museum, “it’s still there, still going, even in this rainy climate and after a million kids. I think they did a pretty good job.” For the past ten years, the Outdoor Discovery Center has been a permanent fixture in the lives of Salem’s children. Museum founder Martin Morris commented in 1998 on the role children played in the development of the Outdoor Discovery Center: “Kids are incredible. If you give them the respect and the opportunity to voice their opinions, they’ll rise to the occasion.” The same can be said of all the volunteers, past and present, who continue to support the mission of A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village. Some facts about the Outdoor Discovery Center: Event details: A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village is a private nonprofit children's museum located in downtown Salem’s Riverfront Park. Founded in 1989, A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village provides innovative and stimulating educational experiences that spark children's natural curiosity. The Village's mission is to provoke curiosity, inspire awe, awaken interest, foster enjoyment, encourage learning, and enable understanding in all youth. # # # |
