Marbles Kids Museum is working on a makeover of its campus downtown while exploring plans to reach more families where they live. The downtown location near Moore Square would be the hub with spokes reaching out across Wake County.

The museum is working on a makeover of its campus downtown while exploring plans to reach more families where they live. The downtown location near Moore Square would be the hub with spokes reaching out across Wake County, each with a different theme or focus of fun and learning.

"I really love the idea of expanding access to the hubs throughout the county," said Wake County Commissioner Matt Calabria.

"We have a lot of demand to get out into other towns and municipalities throughout Wake County," said Marbles CEO Johnathan Frederick.

The proposed expansion would also allow at least 500 more kids and their caregivers to come through the doors of the museum every day.

Brenda Graham thought her two charges would enjoy a visit to the museum on Monday. They were disappointed to find that the museum is closed on Mondays.

They'll be back, though, to see what's in store for the 15-year-old museum.

"I think that's wonderful. I think it would be a plus. I think they need to expand the museum," Graham said.

Frederick said, "We want to respond to the community who is always used to seeing us do more, and we want to have fun. These ideas are really, really fun."

"This area is growing so quickly with so many incredible jobs coming online, we want families to be able to play around with what those jobs might look like in really fun ways," Frederick said.

Marbles is also looking to grow its footprint beyond downtown.

A feasibility study would look at where the museum could add new, smaller locations in communities throughout Wake County.

"If we can reduce barriers by being in communities where they can thrive and we can thrive, we’re meeting people where they are," Frederick said.

The total project would cost a little more than $7 million and be complete sometime in 2025. The museum is asking Wake County commissioners to pay for about half of that.

"It makes all the sense to support this initiative to keep Marbles as good as it is and make it even better," said Commissioner Sig Hutchinson.

The other half of that cost would come from private fundraising.

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