The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia’s famed science museum, is preparing for a complete overhaul ahead of its 200th anniversary next year, writes Matthew Korfhage for Delaware Online.

As part of these changes, starting on November 4, the museum will feature a newly installed, permanent space exploration exhibit, “Wondrous Space.”

The exhibit is described as “an immersive, awe-inspiring journey through the marvels of space exploration.” It will be the first out of six new permanent exhibits that are being prepared in advance of the important milestone anniversary.

The $8.5 million exhibit will have some premium space artifacts on the day of its opening, including two rowers that have been loaned by Carnegie Mellon University, as well as a rocket engine from Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

The two-story will also include immersive “experiences” designed by a team led by MDSX’s Dan Picard. The design firm is known for its work at Disney World, Sea World, and the Kennedy Space Center.

According to the museum, visitors will be “transported” to space in simulations that will make it possible to travel enormous distances and “control the forces of nature.”

The future of space technology and exploration is the focus of other exhibits.

Read more about The Franklin Institute’s developing “Wonderous Space” exhibit in Delaware Online.

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