Fairbanks Museum cuts the ribbon on the biggest project the museum has undertaken

It is a little over two weeks until Fairbanks Museum cuts the ribbon on the biggest project the museum has undertaken since the 1800s, and there is a lot left to do. On Tuesday, scores of tradespeople were hard at work in every corner of the Science Annex addition and the spaces being renovated in the historic museum. The natural history museum, which has been closed since the start of the year until its big reveal on Feb. 15, was a hive of activity buzzing everywhere you turned. Fairbanks Museum Executive Director Adam Kane said there are typically about 40 people on site daily from the various firms racing to complete the $7 million expansion project that began its construction phase in the summer of 2022. It was many years more in planning. Besides all the work on the Science Annex, the museum staff and volunteers have been hard at work with their usual winter hiatus work – redesigning exhibits, conservation and general maintenance. With so much left to do, Kane said there won’t be any time to spare before the grand opening, and some projects will be ongoing, such as installing some new display cases in the annex. The exterior site work will feature a redesigned yard, pathways, a sitting area, and a granite sundial.