9 2 , ▁and ▁construction ▁took ▁place ▁between ▁August ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁and ▁May ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁with ▁ 2 , 2 0 0 ▁volunte ers ▁don ating ▁more ▁than ▁ 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁hours ▁of ▁labor ▁to ▁the ▁project . ▁The ▁grand ▁opening ▁took ▁place ▁on ▁May ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁slightly ▁less ▁than ▁ten ▁months ▁after ▁ground bre aking . ▁During ▁the ▁early ▁days , ▁visitors ▁stream ed ▁into ▁the ▁museum ▁at ▁a ▁rate ▁of ▁about ▁ 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁per ▁year ▁to ▁interact ▁with ▁the ▁exhib its ▁and ▁take ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁educational ▁programs ▁offered ▁by ▁the ▁museum . ▁ ▁Museum ▁Exp ansion ▁ ▁Ex hib it ▁development ▁was ▁rapid ▁and ▁pro l ific , ▁and ▁by ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁exhib its ▁were ▁in ▁storage ▁for ▁lack ▁of ▁display ▁space . ▁Dem and ▁for ▁programs ▁continued ▁to ▁grow , ▁additional ▁NS F ▁project ▁gr ants ▁were ▁in ▁hand , ▁and ▁the ▁staff ▁was ▁twice ▁as ▁large ▁as ▁had ▁been ▁project ed ▁in ▁a ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁pre - const ruction ▁business ▁plan . ▁To ▁accommod ate ▁this ▁growth , ▁the ▁Sci en center ▁le ased ▁an ▁adjacent ▁brick ▁building ▁from ▁the ▁City ▁of ▁I th aca ▁to ▁provide ▁ ▁of ▁program ▁space . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁the ▁City ▁gave ▁this ▁building ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 6 0 0 ▁block