Forest district officials asked to think differently about Discovery Museum

As planning continues to move the Lake County Discovery Museum to a new location in Libertyville, forest preserve district commissioners are being asked to consider the bigger picture possibilities.

"This is a really exciting thing and we want to get this right," said Ty Kovach, executive director of the Lake County Forest Preserve District, which since 1976 has operated the museum in aging dairy farm buildings at the Lakewood Forest Preserve near Wauconda.

When the district in Fall 2011 moved to new general offices at 1899 W. Winchester Road in Libertyville, the original idea was for the entire museum to be relocated and expanded there.

But it is considered too expensive to modify the building for permanent exhibits and the question becomes what can or should happen to maintain that aspect of the operation.

Kovach has made presentations to forest board committees saying needed building repairs or modifications would require an $8 million to $9 million investment to maintain the museum as it has been at Lakewood or the general office.

And with a trend away from collection/information-based museums, Kovach is asking officials to consider the opportunity to leverage museum assets to boost the presence of the district.

Kovach said neither Lakewood nor the general offices were designed as museums and there would be issues at both. He suggested a small, new building may be a way to drive attendance and spread the district message.

"We want to merge the natural and cultural history together," he said. What form or where that would happen is open to discussion.

"It's hypothetical. What I'm trying to do is get everybody to think strategically going forward," he said. "How do we align ourselves with what's trending out there? What's been successful and hasn't?"

As it stands, the archives and historical and postcard collections, which represent the bulk of the museum will be relocated to the general office. A library, reading room and perhaps a rotating exhibit area also are planned. Under terms of a $750,000 state grant, the facility needs to be open to the public by June 2016.

"What will be in this building are all the collections, totally," said Katherine Hamilton-Smith, the district's director of cultural resources. "The heart of the museum is coming here. Without the collections, there is no museum," she added.

Hamilton-Smith said an innovative new facility, rather than shoring up aging buildings, would have more outside funding potential.

Kovach also has outlined a variety of capital, maintenance and operational savings by going that route.

The district also is pursuing state legislation to allow it to lease available space at its general offices, which could generate $468,632, Kovach said.