Key Points:

  • A record 100,000 people visited the Pavilion museums in 2019
  • Pavilion officials credit attendance increase to capital investments in the facility
  • A new agricultural exhibit opens in 2020 at the Kirby Science Discovery Center

Since it's opening in 1999, the Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science has been a steady anchor of the revitalization of Downtown Sioux Falls, welcoming the hundreds of thousands of people who have passed through its doors.

Now on the 20th anniversary of its opening, the Pavilion has logged a record number of visitors to its museums.

According to KSFY TV, the massive three-floor Kirby Science Discovery Center and Visual Arts Museum has set an attendance record on Veteran's Day 2019 by welcoming its 100,000th visitor of the year.  This new mark tops the previous record of 96,349 visitors set in 2000.

The Washington Pavilion staff members credit ongoing capital investments in the facility, improvements in programming, a focus on the customer experience and enhanced marketing efforts as reasons for the increase in attendance.

Some exciting additions are coming to the Kirby Science Discovery Center for 2020 with the new agricultural themed exhibit opening on the third floor.

The Visual Arts Center features eight different galleries that play host to around 30 art shows each year.

Source: KSFY TV

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