Port Wonder, a new 25,000-square-foot building on the lakefront, is set to open in February. It will house the Children’s Museum of Southwest Louisiana and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries LDWF Nature and Science Center. This $20 million project, announced in 2018 and started in 2021, is designed to be an exciting educational space for kids.
The Children’s Museum will feature four main sections: Nature, Health, Tech, and Cityscape. In the Nature Gallery, children can explore oversized nature displays, like a giant banana spider and a climbing anthill, and learn about local activities like fishing and crabbing. There will also be a pollinator garden and a water table to teach about the water cycle.
In the Health Gallery, kids can interact with exhibits about the body’s senses and systems. Popular exhibits like Mr. Bones will return, where children can ride a bike to learn about the skeleton, and there will also be a digestive maze and heartbeat exhibit.
The Tech Gallery will offer hands-on science activities, like a Tinker Lab for weekly STEM projects and a chemistry section to explore local industries.
The City Gallery will feature a miniature city with places like a market, café, news station, vet clinic, and dance hall for children to explore and interact with.
There will also be an inclusive playground outside the museum and baby and toddler areas inside, with soft play materials and nursing spaces.
The LDWF Nature and Science Center will showcase local wildlife and teach about the work of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Visitors can explore exhibits about the state’s habitats and see tanks with freshwater, brackish water, and touchable species like stingrays. Other exhibits will focus on marine biology, fishing, and Louisiana’s Barrier Islands.
Outside the center, there will be a free fishing pier for visitors to enjoy.