Detroit’s expanded Motown Museum will feature two immersive exhibits as part of the third phase of its $65 million expansion, which is set to start in spring next year.
Speaking at an event for donors on Wednesday (4 October), Motown Museum chairwoman and CEO Robin Terry revealed more about the new exhibits (via The Detroit News).
She also confirmed that construction on the third, final and largest phase of the Motown Museum’s expansion project is due to start in the spring.
The first exhibit, ‘The Motown Atmosphere’, will take visitors back in time in an immersive room of classic Motown images. Guests will see their favourite Motown stars up close and hear their stories.
The second exhibit, titled ‘The Backstage Lounge’, will be a musical repository where visitors can search the Motown catalogue to find music and listen to exclusive interviews with stars.
During the event, which included members of the Four Tops and The Temptations, Terry said the expansion fundraising campaign has reached $59 million.
“Our original plan was to be under full construction on the final phase of the expansion this summer, but that timeline had to evolve to align with the required and rigorous [Department of Housing and Urban Development] environmental approvals, which are happening now, leading to full construction commencing this spring,” she said.
Terry added: “In the meantime, our talented team of architects and exhibit designers are full-steam ahead on creating the immersive experiences that will tell the inspirational Motown story in a larger, expanded way.”
Third phase construction to start in spring 2024
The Motown Museum broke ground on the first phase of its expansion in September 2019. When completed, the museum will be a world-class tourist destination with interactive exhibits, a performance theatre, recording studios, and an expanded retail experience.
“This is not just a local museum. It is a national museum and it’s an international museum,” Vivian Pickard, a Motown Museum board trustee, said at the event.
The project’s third phase is a new 40,000-square-foot building behind Hitsville U.S.A.
