Take a step back in time and get a peek at Abilene’s history at the new Abilene Heritage Square, officially open to the public at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 16.
The former Abilene High School built in 1924, the 8-acre campus has been revitalized to serve as a community hub, fostering lifelong learning, growth and development.
With three distinct buildings, the square serves as the new home to the main public library branch, Sparks Learning Center and Heritage Event Center.
Main Library
One of the main highlights of Heritage Square is the new main library, which has moved from its previous downtown location to a new three-story, 65,000-square-foot space built adjacent to the historic Abilene High School building.
The new space features a sleek and modern design with large exterior windows providing plenty of natural light to the open concept space. Built alongside the historic 100-year-old building, exterior brick from the high school lines the back wall of the library, creating a one-of-a-kind look.
As one enters the library, it’s hard not to miss the vibrant glass sculpture display hung three stories high along the grand staircase. Created by Dallas glass artist Carlyn Ray, “Gathered Radiance” features over 400 handcrafted glass elements, including cloud forms, sculptural glass plates and flowing ribbons that were created in collaboration with local Abilene residents.
The first floor of the library houses the adult fiction and history novels with spacious study rooms available to check out, a teen space and a “one-button studio” — a space where the community can record presentations and videos with professional equipment.
The first floor is also home to the library’s new larger makerspace housing a sewing machine, cricket and other workshop equipment.
An expanded Texas history and genealogy room is also housed on the library’s first floor. With sliding compact book shelves, the space is filled with materials and resources for family and state research.
The children and family sections are on the second floor of the library amidst the storybook forest, a vibrantly decorated reading space for kids. It features giant leaf cutouts — one of which is Americans with Disabilities Act accessible, circular reading nooks between bookshelves and no accessible computers to allow kids to focus on reading.
The library also announced that it will be increasing the number of read times offered compared to the schedule at the old location.
The third floor of the library is home to the adult nonfiction sections and reference materials. Additional study rooms, group study rooms and a conference room are also located on the top floor.
The new library location is jam-packed with resources and amenities and to help the community better navigate the new space, each library floor features a digital interactive directory.
Spark Science Center
Abilene Heritage Square is also home to the new Spark Science Center, a science-focused branch of the Grace Museum. With a focus on STEAM learning — science, technology, engineering, art and math — the interactive exhibit space aims to spark curiosity among Abilene youth with exciting exhibits and experiences.
From a sensory weather display producing rain and fog to life-sized dinosaurs and an interactive sand table where kids can make mountains and rivers and see how environments are shaped, the center combines learning with fun to captivate young minds.
Encompassing over 14,00 square feet, the center focuses on five key science areas: biology and medicine, engineering and technology, space and astronomy, chemistry and environment, and energy and physics.
The new Spark Science Center also includes an attached outside area, an innovation park with bubble machines and racecar tracks.
Heritage Event Center
A large part of the historic Abilene high school building has been renovated into rentable event spaces for the public. Heritage Event Center, the former high school’s gymnasium, has been reimagined to host a variety of events, including proms, quinceañeras, receptions, reunions, conferences and more.
The event center is outfitted with a full catering and prep kitchen, historic ticket booth, audio and visual projection screens and renovated bleacher seating.
Other venue spaces include Owen Hall, a newly refurbished auditorium with state-of-the-art audio, visual and lighting systems. The space also features two connecting VIP homerooms that have been decorated to serve as bride and groom suites for weddings.
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Abilene Heritage Square opens with new library, science center
Reporting by Lauren Dossey, Abilene Reporter-News / Abilene Reporter-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
