Trending...
- Slotozilla Reports Strong Growth in Q2 2026
- Eric Snyder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Keystone Consulting Engineers Named to LVB 300
- LCC Asia Pacific Sponsors CubeSatPlus 2026 at UNSW Sydney
Governor Tom Wolf joined Erie officials today to celebrate a $5 million state investment through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) to help expand the expERIEnce Children's Museum in downtown Erie.
Since Gov. Wolf took office, 34 projects in Erie County have been awarded $80 million in RACP funding.
"expERIEnce Children's Museum has been an anchor of downtown Erie for more than two decades, providing a safe, innovative space for children to learn, create, and play," said Gov. Wolf. "The museum has made a difference in the lives of countless children by preparing them for a life of innovation, creation, and exploration. Those are the skills kids need for a life of success and I'm proud to invest in institutions that lay the foundation for a brighter future."
The RACP funds will help the museum to expand with a three-story, 19,000-square-foot addition to be built in an adjacent vacant lot and to enhance the accessibility of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) knowledge and experience to all area children.
"We are deeply honored to have received state funding and recognition of expERIEnce Children's Museum's role as a trusted community resource," said Ainslie Brosig, executive director, expERIEnce Children's Museum. "We are so grateful to the governor for this grant, which will enable us to expand our reach in providing a safe, family-centered educational experience that inspires creativity, exploration, and imagination through play, interactive exhibits, and innovative programming."
More on The PennZone
The museum will renovate 14,000 square feet of its existing 100-year-old building to improve its infrastructure and make it more accessible and energy efficient. A new outdoor area will also accommodate open-air programs.
"We, at the city, are really excited that the ExpERIEnce Children's Museum was awarded a $5 million state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant," said Mayor Joe Schember. "The Children's Museum is an incredible resource for our community and for the downtown, and this funding is going to enable them to expand and grow to a whole new level. Our thanks go out to Governor Wolf and his team for seeing the value in this project and believing in Erie."
An economic analysis conducted last year indicated the renovated museum could bring up to $10.4 million in economic output and support 171 total jobs annually.
"We are grateful for the governor's support of the expERIEnce Children's Museum project through the RACP program and the lasting impact this funding will have on children in our region," said Tim NeCastro, president and chief executive officer of Erie Insurance and chair of the museum's capital campaign. "Our campaign team set an ambitious fundraising goal from the start because we believe families in Erie deserve the best that a children's museum can offer them. This project is also an important part of a renaissance happening in downtown Erie, a city benefitting from unprecedented investment and partnership with the public sector and well on its way to becoming a vibrant place for all to live, work and play."
More on The PennZone
The Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program funds support critical expansion projects, providing opportunities for additional employment training, job creation and community services across the commonwealth.
SHARE Email Facebook Twitter
Since Gov. Wolf took office, 34 projects in Erie County have been awarded $80 million in RACP funding.
"expERIEnce Children's Museum has been an anchor of downtown Erie for more than two decades, providing a safe, innovative space for children to learn, create, and play," said Gov. Wolf. "The museum has made a difference in the lives of countless children by preparing them for a life of innovation, creation, and exploration. Those are the skills kids need for a life of success and I'm proud to invest in institutions that lay the foundation for a brighter future."
The RACP funds will help the museum to expand with a three-story, 19,000-square-foot addition to be built in an adjacent vacant lot and to enhance the accessibility of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) knowledge and experience to all area children.
"We are deeply honored to have received state funding and recognition of expERIEnce Children's Museum's role as a trusted community resource," said Ainslie Brosig, executive director, expERIEnce Children's Museum. "We are so grateful to the governor for this grant, which will enable us to expand our reach in providing a safe, family-centered educational experience that inspires creativity, exploration, and imagination through play, interactive exhibits, and innovative programming."
More on The PennZone
- RemoteBridge Names Dr. John N. Just, Ed.D. Chief Executive Officer
- Project CIVICA Report Finds 10,680 Non-Citizen Indicators on New York Voter Rolls — Including 88 Records with Recent Voting History
- New Analysis Details Three Converging Forces in AI and Workforce Policy Behind a $37 Billion GDP Reduction
- Grace Montessori School Earns Prestigious American Montessori Society Accreditation
- Revenue Optics Launches Pricing and Revenue Growth Management Practice, Names Shafohi Alamgir Vice President
The museum will renovate 14,000 square feet of its existing 100-year-old building to improve its infrastructure and make it more accessible and energy efficient. A new outdoor area will also accommodate open-air programs.
"We, at the city, are really excited that the ExpERIEnce Children's Museum was awarded a $5 million state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant," said Mayor Joe Schember. "The Children's Museum is an incredible resource for our community and for the downtown, and this funding is going to enable them to expand and grow to a whole new level. Our thanks go out to Governor Wolf and his team for seeing the value in this project and believing in Erie."
An economic analysis conducted last year indicated the renovated museum could bring up to $10.4 million in economic output and support 171 total jobs annually.
"We are grateful for the governor's support of the expERIEnce Children's Museum project through the RACP program and the lasting impact this funding will have on children in our region," said Tim NeCastro, president and chief executive officer of Erie Insurance and chair of the museum's capital campaign. "Our campaign team set an ambitious fundraising goal from the start because we believe families in Erie deserve the best that a children's museum can offer them. This project is also an important part of a renaissance happening in downtown Erie, a city benefitting from unprecedented investment and partnership with the public sector and well on its way to becoming a vibrant place for all to live, work and play."
More on The PennZone
- Popular AI planner Voiset launches version 2.0 and enters MENA at LEAP 2026 with full Arabic support
- CasaPerks and CredHub Partner to Help the Multifamily Industry Strengthen Resident Activation Through Credit-Building Rewards
- NaturismRE expands international research programme with Health & Wellbeing Survey
- L2 Aviation and Gotonomi Extend UAV Connectivity Beyond Cellular Reach
- LATO AI Solidifies Future in Pittsburgh with North Shore Headquarters
The Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program funds support critical expansion projects, providing opportunities for additional employment training, job creation and community services across the commonwealth.
SHARE Email Facebook Twitter
0 Comments
Latest on The PennZone
- 5X Gross Margin Improvement to Beat EPS Consensus; $54.6 Million 10-Year Contract Award Puts Cybersecurity Leader on Path to a $30 Million Run Rate
- Tina Hasselbusch, Turnstone Creative Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Named to LVB 300
- Pittsburgh Family Law Attorneys at Pollock Begg Earn Top Honors in 2027 Best Lawyers Guide
- Independent Colbert Packaging Thrives Amid Industrywide Consolidation
- Free Commercial Glass Estimating and Code Compliance Tools Launched by Landmark Construction - The Leading Glass Company in Los Angeles
- Tallahassee Million-Dollar Home Sales Rise in 2026 as Median Selling Time More Than Doubles
- Slotozilla Reports Strong Growth in Q2 2026
- Eric Snyder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Keystone Consulting Engineers Named to LVB 300
- Philadelphia's Girls Anthem to Host The Locker Room Experience Pop-Up for Young Women
- Flexible Plan Investments Names Carl Resnick President
- Paula Josephine Sadler Releases "Imagine" on 24th Anniversary of Sobriety
- Ritz-Carlton Residences Houston Generates Strong Early New Construction Sales at 2120 Post Oak Blvd
- No Sugar Baker Continues National Growth with Seattle Market Expansion Across Washington, Idaho, and Alaska
- The Refugee Archive Launches Campaign to Preserve 21 Female-Headed Household Oral Histories in Rebel-Controlled Goma
- Sharon Pinkenson Chosen as Philly Girl Top 40 Winner
- Space Ambitions Expanding as New Testing Builds on NASA Results and Targets MEO, GEO and Next-Generation Orbital Markets: Ascent Solar Technologies
- FDA Path Clears, Manufacturing Ramps Up + $22.3 Million Strengthens the Balance Sheet; Inflection Point for NRx Pharmaceuticals (N A S D A Q: NRXP)
- Charmaine Thompson Turns Pain Into Purpose Through Woman of Power Charmcare
- Buy Retatrutide Research Peptide: Why Reta Is Getting So Much Attention
- San Diego Attorney Anthony Z. Vargas Narrows Practice to Employment Law, Representing Employees Only