Verner Johnson and our consultant team developed a Comprehensive Master Plan for the Flint Hills Discovery Center that will inspire people to celebrate, explore, and care for the Flint Hills Prairie of Kansas. We worked closely with the Steering Committee, Advisory Group, and members of the public to provide clear programmatic and financial guidelines that ensure that the new Discovery Center is sustainable and meets the needs of the community. The Architectural and Interpretive Concepts provided the City of Manhattan with a platform from which they could garner support and funding for the project.

After the initial planning phase, VernerJohnson was hired to design the building and site for this significant regional destination. Components include a 4D immersion theater and many interactive exhibits that will help to unlock the prairie’s secrets. The “Flint Hills Story” overview exhibition will trace the story of the Flint Hills as seen from multiple perspectives. It will use artifacts, documents, video and multimedia to develop a multi-layered understanding of the ecology, history and natural beauty of the Flint Hills region, starting with geologic time and concluding in the present.

Currently in construction, the new Museum will soon become a reality along the Kansas River.

Quicktime slideshow of project photos

www.ci.manhattan.ks.us