Fulfilling dreams together: a celebration in Who-Ville

On June 4, 2022, we kicked off our yearlong Seuss-iversary to celebrate the fifth anniversary of opening the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum and the 20th anniversary of opening the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden with an exuberant family festival. The event featured appearances by some of Dr. Seuss’ most famous characters as well as a plethora of Seuss-inspired art and science activities.

Proud to be in Dr. Seuss’ hometown, the Springfield Museums are dedicated to amplifying his legacy as an innovative thinker and a creative genius for visitors from our community, the region and far beyond.

The innovative-fun-whilelearning spirit of Dr. Seuss is a driving force at the Springfield Museums. Founded in 1857, the museums were considered to be the “People’s College”; our collections shared world cultures and scientific discoveries with the city of Springfield.

Our museums today — free to all Springfield residents — are visitor-centric, dedicated to shared, creative, playful experiences that enhance the lives of children and adults. With five museums plus the sculpture garden, we have something for everyone.

The significance of our Seuss-iversary kickoff was more than the celebration of an institutional milestone. It also marked an important turning point in our recovery from the pandemic. In addition to programming our outdoor grounds, we presented activities throughout our museum galleries. While some visitors still chose to wear masks, we no longer have capacity restrictions and we have fully reopened our facilitated hands-on activities areas.

While we know the pandemic is still part of our everyday lives, we are learning to manage COVID-19 alongside our visitors.

Emerging from the pandemic also means that the museums can now have a laser-focus on meeting the goals of our strategic plan. Approved by our board of trustees in December 2021, the plan calls for the museums to fulfill their potential as an unparalleled multi-disciplinary museum complex and cultural attraction, establish the Science Museum as a regional hub of STEM/STEAM learning, secure the financial stability of the Museums through a deeper emphasis on philanthropy and intensify our efforts to be more inclusive and accessible museums.

With Dr. Seuss as our inspiration, the museums added literacy to our mission statement during the planning process. Increased literacy acquisition unlocks student success across all fields, but science tells us that learning how to read is difficult. In order to address this critical need, we will provide literacy skill development opportunities within our five museums. Our multicultural setting and our proven track record with diverse, multigenerational visitors ideally position our museums to create transformative change for visitors, especially children who have been adversely impacted by the pandemic-induced learning slide.

During the year ahead, the museums will complete key upgrades to the Science Museum that have been delayed by supply-chain issues. The recreation of the International Space Station and its interactive learning exhibits is scheduled to open in March.

With funds from a $750,000 federal earmark, we will install a new state-ofthe-art digital full-dome projection system in our historic planetarium. We have also received state funds to expand and update the museum’s popular dinosaur exhibitions to include a dramatic dinosaur display on the exterior of the building.

These critical updates, along with other planned improvements, will increase participation in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) learning among underserved communities while continuing to transform the Science Museum as a