Already Talk Of Expansion At Perot Museum

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Although the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, in downtown Dallas, has only been opened for a few months there appears that plans are already in the works for expansion.

Museum CEO Nicole Small admits that expansion is on the radar, but said there are other projects already in the works. "The next big thing for us actually, before Phase II, is I anticipate in the next month or two, we'll be announcing a whole lineup of amazing traveling shows. We didn't have one for our opening year but we're gonna be beginning those."

During Monday's Dallas City Council meeting Small told city leaders about the expansion ideas and the response was positive. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings thinks the short-term prosperity of the museum speaks for itself. "It has been a tremendous, over the top success," he said. "They looked for 18,000 memberships in one year; already they're at 30,000… memberships, not visitors. So this city has yearned for this and they've delivered."

Ultimately officials said they hope to double the museum's square footage, add classrooms and a special rocket ship exhibit.

Small said the popularity of the museum is good business for the city and those in it. "We're actually hearing from all the local businesses surrounding the museum that their sales are up 10 to 25-percent on average, since the museum has opened," she said. "So it's been really exciting because I think the draw of the museum and the park [Klyde Warren], we're really bringing people downtown."

According to museum officials, some 350,000 people have visited the museum since it opened, including 2,000 schoolchildren a day.

Also Check Out:

• Plano Police Warn Hispanic Men Of Violent Attacks
• North Texas Dad Indicted For Carving Pentagram On Son
• Paramedics Packing Heat? One Texas Lawmaker Says Yes
• DISD Approves School Security Upgrades
• College Players Pepper Sprayed After Basketball Game

MOST VIEWED GALLERIES

• PHOTOS: Your Pet Pictures
• PHOTOS: 105.3 The Fan In New Orleans - Day 5
• PHOTOS: Top 10 Cars We Miss