COLUMBIA — The YouZeum is facing financial and personnel issues that could potentially kill the $8.5 million interactive science museum.
YouZeum, which opened in May 2008 after months of delays, lost its second director in a year this summer, has cut back general admission hours, and is seeing a severe decline in attendance compared with what was expected.
It's located in an old federal building at 608 Cherry St. and received $750,000 in federal money, $250,000 in state tax credits and $350,000 from local governments.
The museum has failed to remain financially viable; museum officials expected about 60,000 visitors each year, but it has seen about *35,000.
The Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau gave YouZeum $350,000 total for its first two years of operation. But in the Columbia Daily Tribune, Lorah Steiner, executive director of the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau, said future funding would likely not be approved.
Surely there will be ideas about how to save the museum from going under, but with attendance simply lacking, would any time or money spent be necessary?
What ideas do you have to help the YouZeum? Is it worth saving?