The center bills itself as an “attraction” and is located across the street from Independence Mall.
Pat Murdock, the center’s executive director, described the center this way during a recent tour. “What we’ve attempted to do is bring to light the influence of faith and the Bible on the American story, particularly looking through the stories of people — we call them change-makers — people that were inspired, influenced, somehow, by the scriptures, by their faith, to do something with their lives to help bring this American story to life.”
Alan Crippen, chief of exhibits, programming, and public engagement, said the key question asked by the center is “what is the centrality of faith in the American narrative?”
Crippen added “Liberty is an instrument of good.” And the basic premise, is that “faith guides liberty towards justice.”
About a quarter million people are projected to visit the center annually to take in the story.
The $60 million, 40,000 square-foot facility, which transformed what used to be the banking floor of the Wells Fargo Building, sits several floors below the headquarters of the Bible Society.
Technology is how the story and experience are delivered at the Discovery Center.
It is a massive digital platform, disguised as a museum. There are artifacts but the digital platform is ripe for the way people are learning today. They want to learn from media. They want to learn from story.