TYLER, Texas (KLTV) – Since 1993, Discovery Science Place in Tyler has seen generations of curious minds of all ages.
“We believe that we can not only stimulate the curiosity of children,” said Marketing and Development Director Tami Urias. “Adults have just as much fun in our museum.”
Over the years, the DSP has maintained the facilities through admission fees and donations from the public. With so many people coming through the front doors, some of the exhibits have needed to be updated and refurbished to keep them up to date.
“We see about 70,000 people a year, so that’s a lot of hands-on exploration,” said executive director Carol Whiteside.
The DSP Board’s fundraising activities include charity events such as the Casino Royale Gala, which is scheduled to take place later this month.
“We usually do two fundraisers a year, but this year we decided to go with a casino theme,” said Urias. “There are lots of exciting and fun raffle items they can use their winnings for.”
The event features casino games for visitors, including poker tables, blackjack and other similar games. Winnings are converted into Monopoly money that can be exchanged for raffle items such as vacation homes, tickets to sporting events and, this year, a puppy. The process has taken months, with two board members taking over the running of the event.
“Our board has been great and we have two ladies (Valerie Obesso and Denise Terrell) who have really led this committee,” Urias said.
The goal is to raise over $80,000 for repairs, renovations, and travel expenses to display new exhibits.
“We are in a pretty old building, probably close to 100 years old, so there is constant maintenance that needs to be done,” Urias said.
In 2025, Discovery Science Place plans to partner with a Dallas company to create a new exhibit that explores the meaning and science behind energy. To cover travel and construction costs, DSP will also use funds from the fundraiser.
“It’s really the biggest thing we’ve installed since we opened, so we’re really excited,” Whiteside said.
Discovery Science Place is hosting its Casino Royale fundraiser on August 24th from 6-10pm at the Cascades Country Club. Tickets are on sale now, with limited spaces left.
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