There's a tiny door at the Santa Fe Children's Museum where kids can enter a world full of scientific, hands-on fun, where they can experiment with magnets, bubbles and pulleys. Soon, a new addition to the museum will offer even more fun to explore.

"More square footage will allow for hands-on exhibit design," said the museum's executive director, Anna Marie Tutera Manriquez. Children ages 9 to 12 will have an opportunity to collaborate with local scientists, artists, educators and architects to help design the new interactive exhibits and activities, she said.

The new space also will include a temporary bug exhibit, Metamorphosis, by Santa Fean Oliver "Ollie" Greer.

Greer is a champion for the museum, and it's not just to spread awareness about his bug collection. "It's a place where children and families can play and learn together," he said. "It's a welcoming, safe space where children have access to a variety of hands-on, interactive exhibits and where they can participate in very engaging educational programs. It's all meant to really foster a lifelong love of learning."

Greer displayed his huge collection of bugs at the museum a few years ago. He said he began collecting insects when he was a kid growing up in California. He now has approximately 2,300 specimens contained in 30 display cases.

The display contains "some of the world's biggest, rarest, most exotic, most dangerous, most beautiful and most outrageous insects you've ever seen," Greer said.

The children's museum will close Monday for the final work on the expansion project, and it will reopen May 7 with a grand re-opening celebration. Manriquez said the museum is gearing up to become a community hub for both parents and children.

The future

The first phase of the children's museum expansion, which will add 3,500 square feet to the building, began in December 2010 and is scheduled to be completed in June. It cost approximately $375,000, most of which came from the state of New Mexico and the private McCune Foundation. The architect is Santa Fe-based John Barton, and the general contractor is AIC General Contractors of Albuquerque.

Within the next year, the museum hopes to complete the second phase, which will focus on structural repairs and renovations to the old building.

The expansion includes two classrooms, where the museum will offer classes, a summer camp and workshops and seminars for parents and caregivers.

"We will also rent out those classrooms for public use, as we rent out the whole museum," Manriquez said. She added that for the first time in five years, the museum will offer a nine-week summer camp for children beginning June 6.

Raising funds

In the wake of the recession, raising money hasn't been easy for the children's museum.

"Funding is still very challenging, and what happens sometimes with organizations in the process of expanding is then there becomes this perception that you're flush, and that's just not the case," Manriquez said. "We're absolutely in need of public support."

To stay afloat, the museum has two sources of revenue — fees and contributions. The museum is supported by individuals and businesses, as well as private and government grants.

"What we need to do, just like all museums, is have a significant earned-revenue stream," Manriquez said, "especially at a time when the contributed revenue stream is down."

She noted that she has seen a small uptick in contributions, but she hopes admission and program fees will increase when the new addition opens.

Manriquez said the museum maintains a close relationship with its contributors.

"It's on us to do that constant active cultivation in the community, creating those really meaningful institutional partnerships," Manriquez said. The museum also partners with other nonprofits in the community, such as Reel Fathers, the Youth Media Project, Moving Arts Española and the Santa Fe Science Initiative.

"It's really important in a very small community for nonprofit executive directors to partner with each other," Manriquez said. "We are all working toward essentially a common mission — serving children, youth and families."

Manriquez hopes more people will become part of the children's museum family, either by donating time or money or by just popping in for a visit with their children.

"The museum is really a gem in the community," Manriquez said.

Contact Ana Maria Trujillo at atrujillo@sfnewmexican.com.