(CP) The American Bible Society will likely be closing down its Faith and Liberty Discovery Center, around three years after the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based museum, which cost around $60 million, had opened.
The ABS announced that the middle was ending operations on April 1, with the last day for public visits to be March 28.
Full refunds will likely be given to those that bought tickets to go to the middle after March 28, in accordance with the ABS.
ABS cited “structural limitations,” the impact of the COVID-19 lockdowns, and “other aspects impacting sustainability” as the explanations for closing.
The center struggled from the onset, receiving only around $54,000 in ticket sales for the tax 12 months of July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022, while reporting total expenses of around $11 million, in accordance with a statement of revenue.
Jennifer Holloran, who recently became president and CEO of the society, said in an announcement that “the Faith and Liberty Discovery Center has served as a spot of remarkable learning and inspiration since its doors opened.”
“We sit up for reimagining what the longer term of content could seem like through a publicly accessible, digitized format,” she added.
“We’re tremendously grateful for our local Philadelphia partners, for many who have contributed to its vision, and for the FLDC’s staff who’ve invested their hearts into serving all and sundry who has walked through the doors.”
FLDC Executive Director Rob Wonderling was quoted within the press release as saying that it had been “an honor to serve the Faith and Liberty Discovery Center and witness the numerous ways it has spurred inspiration, engagement, and private discovery over time at the center of Independence Mall.”
“The center was an modern vision for sharing the importance of Scripture and I’m pleased with the role our dedicated staff played in its mission,” Wonderling continued.
Opened in May 2021, the middle was positioned on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall and sought to teach people of all religious views in regards to the impact of Christianity on American history.
The museum held its grand opening ceremony in July of 2021, coinciding with town’s annual Wawa Welcome America Festival, with the ABS proclaiming that “guests can explore 25,000 square feet of interactive gallery space featuring groundbreaking technology.”
“Their journey through the museum will likely be guided by a handheld smart lamp, which they’ll use to digitally capture favorite Bible verses, quotes, and stories to revisit once they return home. Each gallery offers a latest immersive experience,” explained the society.
“In one gallery, guests will come face-to-face with 21 American Changemakers whose lives and legacies were shaped by God’s Word. In one other, guests will give you the option to hearken to a soundscape of songs and Scripture read by American icons like Johnny Cash. And during a one-of-a-kind theater experience, guests will stroll through the streets of historic Philadelphia as they watch William Penn’s quest for religious freedom unfold.”
