Sound the trumpets!
- Details
- Published on Saturday, 20 October 2012 12:54
- Written by Paul Gordon
After 12 years in the making Museum Square completed and open
Like trumpeting the start of something great, a locomotive blasted its horn loudly and often while moving slowly on the tracks on Peoria's river front. It seemed it was about to threaten ribbon cutting ceremonies for the new Peoria Riverfront Museum and Caterpillar's Visitors Center.
The locomotive, painted mostly a familiar shade of yellow and towing a few flatbeds holding Caterpillar machines, stopped. From the cab an arm waved at the throng gathering for the ribbon cutting ceremony, then people began descending from the locomotive.
It was Caterpillar Chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman, his wife Diane and a couple other company executives, arriving in grand style upon a Caterpillar-owned locomotive to help open Museum Square in the cool fog Saturday morning.
"This is an eventful day for Caterpillar, an eventful day for our community," Oberhelman said minutes later from the podium under a tent pitched between the two buildings. Seated around him or in front of him were local, state and national dignitaries, including U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, as well as many who made the day happen through their work.
"What would Peoria be without Caterpillar," asked LaHood, who was Peoria's 18th District Congressman when work on Museum Square started. It was LaHood, in fact, who pulled together, more than 12 years ago, the leaders from many public and private sector organizations to figure out how best to make it happen.
"We worked around the idea that with Caterpillar and everything else in the region we had so much history to share we needed to do it all in one place. The fact we came together and provided this opportunity was really all about the leadership we have in our community," LaHood said.
The ribbons for each building were cut at the end of the hour-long ceremony and an hour before the doors to the Peoria Riverfront Museum and the Caterpillar Visitors Center opened to the public. By then the fog had burned off, sunshine was intermitten and people began arriving to see what all the fuss created the past several years — and in recent weeks by numerous television commercials and advertising — was all about.
It didn't take long before opinions, all positive, were formed.
"Impressive. I guess if I had to pick one word, that would be it," said one man who had just completed a portion of a tour through the Caterpillar center, his young daughter close at hand. "She sure has enjoyed it."
Indeed, it seemed in both buildings children were having fun as they got to enjoy interactive displays, including those offered at the Peak Performance Center at the museum. Sponsored by the Illinois High School Association the Peak Performance Center enables people to test their skills in several areas, from athletic (arm strength, jumping ability) to tactical (chess knowledge) to academic (quizzes).
Younger kids were enjoying Discovery World, an interactive area for kids up to age 6 where they can crawl through an obstacle course, build things or do other activities meant to enhance creativity and vocabulary and motor skills.
At the Caterpillar center, kids of all ages crawled into the cabs of various machines and pretended they were moving dirt, digging holes or whatever their imaginations allowed.
One little girl ran from one machine to another, trying perhaps to see if she could reach the pedals and gears on any of them. He dad, a Caterpillar employee, was surprised to learn there was a whole other building next door, the museum. "I thought this was it. We'll have to check that out," he said.
There was plenty for adults to enjoy, as well, in each building. A popular attraction in the museum was the International Features Gallery, which for the time being has numerous pieces of art by local residents. "It is really neat to look at all these great pieces of art and to know the people who did them. I mean, these are all names we know, people we see all the time," said State Sen. Dave Koehler while walking through the gallery with his wife, Nora Sullivan.
People enjoyed The River, an exhibit that discussed the history of the Illinois River District and invites exploration of the river's three major ecosystems. It includes a display that demonstrates how the river's lock-and-dam system works and why it's necessary, the types of fish and wildlife that can be found in or around the river and even the type of hunting that is popular.
The Street exhibit drew acclaim for its depiction of Peoria through the years, including facts given by people wearing costumes from the period. Some got a laugh from seeing one of the actors, dressed in clothing from the days Peoria was a big whiskey distilling city, talking on his cell phone.
"This is really something. I'll tell you, I never though I'd see something like this in a town this size," said a man at the museum who explained he'd been able to get an earlier look at the Caterpillar center. "I can't wait to bring some out-of-town guests down here."
Several speakers at the opening ceremony talked about how Museum Square was poised to become a destination spot for tourists and visitors from all over. Caterpillar officials have talked about the visitors the company gets from around the world and the pride they will have while showing off the new buildings to those visitors.
David Ransburg, chairman of the Riverfront Museum board, said Museum Square will be Peoria's "window to the world." Combined, he added, "this is going to be a block like no other in the world."
Current Mayor Jim Ardis and Peoria County Board Chairman Tom O'Neill spoke about the collaboration of the various government and business organizations. "It is sometimes challenging to get something done in the city of Peoria, but we did it. We got it done," said Ardis.
"This is only going to build on more. This area is going to be thriving again," said O'Neill.
U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock, the Peoria Republican who replaced LaHood in the 18th District four years ago, said Museum Square "stands as a monument to what can be accomplished when we all come together."
Jim Richerson, the president and CEO of the new Peoria Riverfront Museum who came to Peoria 12 years ago with the task of expanding Lakeview Museum (which closed and moved to the new museum), named all the partners involved in making Museum Square happen.
Besides Lakeview Museum and Caterpillar, they include the Peoria Historical Society, the Illinois High School Association, the African American Hall of Fame Museum, the Peoria Regional Museum Society, the Nature Conservancy and Heartland Foundation.
"This unique cultural corporate campus demonstrates where we've been and how far we've come. It shows the world our stage," Richerson said.
Paul Gordon is editor of The Peorian. He can reached at 692-7880 or editor@thepeorian.com
