Expanded heritage center opens in North Dakota

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A revamped North Dakota Heritage Center and State Museum opens to the public Sunday.

The opening coincides with the state’s 125th statehood anniversary. The revamped center includes a new theater, cafe and outdoor space. State lawmakers approved about $40 million for the 97,000-square-foot expansion in 2009. The historical society raised an additional $12 million.

Two of the museum’s galleries are slated to open Sunday.

The Governor’s Gallery features traveling and temporary exhibits. The gallery’s first display explores how the lives of rural North Dakota residents changed when they went from using kerosene lamps to having electricity.

The Inspirational Gallery shows the history of the state through six different themes. It includes interactive displays, a full-size grain silo and objects used at Native American boarding schools.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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