COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — The Columbus Museum celebrated upcoming renovations to its facility with a groundbreaking ceremony Friday morning. A press release for the event calls it a “momentous day” that took place after almost five years of planning and fundraising. The renovations are expected to take approximately 18 months to complete.

The renovated museum will feature an interactive children’s gallery and adjoining children’s garden, a public courtyard, a spacious lobby with a gift shop, a café, orientation spaces, redesigned history galleries, modifications to the historic Bradley Olmsted Garden and more.

“This renovation will be a pivotal milestone for the future of The Columbus Museum,” said Museum Director Marianne Richter. “We could not be at this point without the generosity and enthusiasm of numerous donors, both individuals and foundations. We have been overwhelmed by the response to our plans for a complete renovation with the goal of making The Columbus Museum a cultural gathering place for the 21st century.”

As the museum is being renovated, it will continue to offer exhibitions, educational programming and events at local venues with The Columbus Museum on Tour. The press release says the museum will work with “collaborators at the Do Good Fund Gallery, the Illges Gallery and the Bo Bartlett Center at the Columbus State University’s Corn Center for the Visual Arts, the Columbus Botanical Garden, the Columbus Public Library and others.” The tour will feature a passport program that allows guests to fill booklets with stamps at every stop.

“Participants can win various prizes, incentives, and exclusive entrance to enjoy the reimagined museum prior to its public opening,” says the press release.

The museum will be temporarily headquartered in a historic building next door, located at 1327 Wynnton Road. It will have a gift shop, highlights from the museum’s permanent collection and scheduled programs and events. It will follow its usual business hours.

More information and a full calendar of The Columbus Museum on Tour can be found at www.columbusmuseum.com. Alternatively, you can contact Director of Marketing and Public Relations Kristen Hudson at (706) 748-2562 or khudson@columbusmuseum.com.