The Longmont Museum is gearing up for more renovation work this summer as the institution continues its multimillion-dollar expansion project.

This summer, renovations will start on the museum’s gallery spaces. That work includes a restructuring of what the existing galleries are used for, plus the construction of a new wing.

A new children’s gallery is expected to take the place of what is currently the “Front Range Rising” permanent history exhibition. The children’s gallery will include hands-on, immersive environments for young visitors.

“We’ll be able to have something for kids that can engage their minds, engage their bodies,” Longmont Museum director Erik Mason said.

The history exhibition will move into what is now the museum’s special exhibit gallery. That gallery currently houses the museum’s traveling and temporary exhibitions, such as the Pablo Picasso prints that have been on display this year.

Mason said the museum plans to work with academic historians and other members of the community to curate content for the new history exhibition.

The brand-new wing to be constructed will be the museum’s flex gallery, which will give the institution space to host larger, more prominent exhibitions. That wing will house the special exhibitions that can move in and out, like the Picasso prints. The project also includes a redesign of the front of the museum. Along with making the lobby bigger, the stairs leading up to the museum will be removed.

“We have a wheelchair ramp, but now, it’ll be universal access, which we’re excited about,” Mason said.Construction starts around this summer and might begin as early as June, Mason said. The galleries will be closed during the renovations. The museum anticipates all three galleries being open again by the end of 2026.

The Picasso exhibit will close to the public May 25. Museum programs, including summer camps and Discovery Days, will continue even as the galleries are shut down for construction.

“Our galleries won’t be available for a little over a year, but we will continue to have our full slate of programs,” Mason said.

Mason said a dedicated children’s gallery will let the museum serve “all ages, all the time.”

“We’ve got folks that love when our special exhibit is Picasso, and when it’s LEGO, they’re not quite as into it,” Mason said. “And the folks that love LEGO maybe are a little less engaged with Picasso.”

Joan Harrold, marketing and development manager for the museum, said the new children’s gallery will prevent the museum from needing to switch between kid-focused and family-oriented special exhibits.

“With the new, expanded galleries, we’ll be able to meet the needs of both of those demographics simultaneously,” Harrold said.

The $8.1 million capital campaign for the expansion was launched in September 2023.

In terms of the project’s funding, one recent challenge came during the museum’s application for roughly $300,000 in federal grants. The agencies that the museum applied to were either disbanded or got their funding repurposed by the Trump administration, Mason said.

“We felt a very strong possibility we would get those grants, and now that seems quite unlikely,” he said. “So we are certainly looking for additional support from the community.”

The first phase of the project — a renovation of the museum’s outdoor courtyard — was completed last year. The upgraded courtyard seats 700 people and features a new stage.

“We’re just delighted, because it’s such a great space,” Mason said. “We’re looking forward to having some great events out here this summer.”

The courtyard will host a concert series Thursday nights, starting June 19. The series will run through the end of July.

“This year is definitely going to be our first year where we’ll be able to make full use of it for the entire warm months,” Harrold said of the courtyard.

The Longmont Museum sits at 400 Quail Road.