EdVenture Children’s Museum Announces Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting for New “Fossils to Futures” Experience

COLUMBIA, S.C., March 27, 2026 — EdVenture celebrated the grand opening of its newest immersive experience, Fossils to Futures, with an official ribbon cutting today. Families, community leaders, partners, and media were invited to attend the celebration and be among the first to explore this dynamic new space.

Designed to spark curiosity and inspire environmental awareness, Fossils to Futures uses the wonder of dinosaurs to help children and families explore the connections between Earth’s past and the choices shaping our planet’s future. Through multi-sensory environments and hands-on interactive experiences, visitors will discover how adaptability, resource use, and environmental change have shaped life on Earth—from the age of dinosaurs to today.

At the heart of the display are larger-than-life dinosaur sculptures created entirely from recycled and repurposed materials, demonstrating how creativity and sustainability can work together. Throughout the space, young explorers can climb into a Velociraptor nest, trigger dinosaur encounters in a living mural, listen for prehistoric calls beneath a jungle canopy, and peer through “dino-scopes” to experience ancient environments through sight and scent.

EdVenture collaborated with exhibition design and build firm Roto to bring the immersive gallery to life, combining EdVenture’s educational vision with Roto’s expertise in interactive storytelling and exhibit fabrication. The spectacle invites children to ask big questions about survival, change, and stewardship while encouraging them to imagine solutions they can carry into everyday life. By blending playful exploration with meaningful environmental themes, Fossils to Futures reflects EdVenture’s mission to empower the next generation of problem-solvers and innovators.

“After years of planning and collaboration, it’s incredibly exciting to open this space to the community,” said Andy Marquart, EdVenture CEO. “Thanks to the support of Richland County through H-Tax discretionary funds, we’ve created an environment where dinosaurs spark curiosity while helping families explore big ideas about our planet’s future. At EdVenture, curiosity never goes extinct—and this exhibit turns that curiosity into conversations about sustainability, innovation, and stewardship.”

The new gallery also reflects EdVenture’s commitment to accessibility, sustainability, and multigenerational learning, offering experiences designed for visitors of all abilities to explore together.

“Richland County’s allocation of Hospitality Tax revenue to support EdVenture’s ‘Fossils to Futures’ exhibit reflects our strong commitment to advancing tourism, education, and economic growth in Richland County,” said Jesica Mackey, Richland County Council Chair. “EdVenture consistently attracts thousands of visitors from outside the County, reinforcing its vital role in our tourism economy and exemplifying the purpose of our Hospitality Tax Grant program. By investing in experiences that foster children’s growth and lifelong learning, we are strengthening one of Richland County’s most valued and impactful destinations.”

At EdVenture, curiosity never goes extinct—and Fossils to Futures invites every visitor to discover how the past can inspire a more sustainable future.