A Missouri space museum with moon rocks, Apollo spacecraft components, and a $42 million artifact collection is looking for a new home — and Wildwood is paying attention.
Mayor Garritano, Council Member Scott Ottenberg, and City Administrator Lee traveled to Bonne Terre on March 12 to tour The Space Museum and Grissom Center, which holds more than 600 aerospace artifacts tied to the Gemini and Apollo programs and ranks among TripAdvisor's top 10 science museums in Missouri. The city's Economic Development Committee flagged the museum as a "Potential Tourism Opportunity" at its March 24 meeting, according to city records.
The visit was exploratory. The EDC described it as a chance for city leadership to learn about the museum's collection and operations before deciding whether to pursue anything further — not a commitment to a deal.
But the museum's situation creates real urgency. Its current lease is nearing expiration, and its board has identified the need for a roughly 50,000-square-foot permanent facility estimated to cost $21 million — a price tag that would require significant outside funding. The board is weighing options that include relocating to a new city or partnering with a municipality or university.
For Wildwood, the appeal is the kind of economic activity a destination museum could generate: visitors who spend money at local restaurants and shops. That fits the city's long-standing approach to growth — Wildwood incorporated in 1996 with a master plan that confined commercial development to a defined town center, and has historically turned away proposals that didn't fit that vision. A cultural institution occupies different ground than a big-box retailer.
What a partnership would actually cost Wildwood taxpayers, what land or infrastructure the city might contribute, and whether any zoning changes would be required are all unanswered questions. No vote has been taken, and no formal next steps have been announced.
