The Durango Discovery Museum is going public this week. As progress continues toward an expected opening in the fall of 2008, the museum is hosting a celebration and a community forum in an effort to engage the public’s ideas and interest.

First, an open house is scheduled for Thur., May 18, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. to celebrate the progress on restoring the powerhouse. Guided and self-guided tours will be offered, live music will be on-hand and free food from Carvers will be available. Parking, however, is not available at the location, 14th St. and Camino del Rio, and participants are asked to park elsewhere and walk or ride on the Animas River Trail.

On Fri., May 19, a “Dream and Scheme” Community Forum will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Durango Recreation Center. Several key issues will be addressed during the session.

First, an addition is necessary to turn the powerhouse into a functioning museum. The structure will include restrooms, a lobby, a multi-purpose room, offices, a museum store and more. The forum will try to address the best configuration for this addition. Second, a public plaza is envisioned, which will include an outdoor café, the historic smokestack, musical instruments and science exhibits. The forum will look at ways to make this plaza a lively, energetic, fun place for all ages.

Last, the Durango Discovery Museum has set the ambitious goal of generating its own power and electricity. The forum will ask: Which technologies should be used for heating, cooling and powering the facility and how can the technologies be treated as exhibits and be made as engaging as possible?

A few open slots have been set aside for people who have not yet registered for the “Dream and Scheme” forum. For more information on either event, log onto: wwwdurangodiscovery.com.

– Will Sands