Funds to support virtual reality experience within Rochester in 1838 diorama
ROCHESTER, NY— The Rochester Museum & Science Center (RMSC) was one of six educational and recreation projects awarded funding support from the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor last week.
RMSC was awarded $7,000 to enhance its Rochester in 1838: Young Lion of the West diorama. The funding will enable RMSC to add a virtual reality component to the exhibit, allowing visitors will gain new insight into the Canal’s early history by transporting them to the groundbreaking of the first Erie Canal aqueduct built over the Genesee River in 1821.
The awards were announced by Bob Radliff, Executive Director, Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, who was joined by Congressman Joe Morrelle, Senator Rich Funke, Assemblyman Mark Johns, and Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo.
This is the second Erie Canalway grant RMSC has received for the diorama restoration project: A 2017 grant helped RMSC restore and augment the 70-year-old diorama, which features a frozen section of the Erie Canal that once ran right through downtown. The project also won a 2018 special citation award from the Landmark Society of Western New York.
Over the past 11 years, the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor has made 75 small grants to communities and non-profit organizations that have spurred $1.84 million in additional investments in heritage, preservation, recreation, and education. Ranging from $2,000 to $7,000, the grants support projects that inspire people to learn more about New York’s canal system and further explore the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.
For additional information, contact Mare Millow, Marketing Communications Manager, RMSC, 585.697.1944, mmillow@rmsc.org.
Rochester Museum & Science Center (RMSC) includes the Science Museum, Strasenburgh Planetarium and Cumming Nature Center. Offering experiences at the Museum with more than 200 interactive exhibits, Planetarium with a 65-foot dome and Nature Center on 900 acres, the RMSC stimulates community interest in exploration. In addition, the more than 1.2 million RMSC collection items tell the story of Rochester’s past and present, including its rich history of innovation and invention. RMSC receives major funding from Monroe County, where it is one of the top three most visited attractions serving children and families. For more information about RMSC, visit RMSC.org. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.