Topping Out Ceremony

The last steel beam placed is a significant milestone in the evolution of a building project. This milestone is commemorated by painting the beam white and having the staff, campaign donors, steel erection crew, construction team, architects, designers, and other dignitaries sign the beam for posterity.

Well underway in construction on the #NewBruce, we reached this milestone on Wednesday, June 30, and the Bruce Museum staff and guests celebrated this long-standing construction tradition to commemorate the completion of the New Bruce steel structure and the placement of the final steel beam.

Enjoy some scenes from this Topping Out Ceremony. When the New Bruce is completed, the 42,000 addition will expand offerings to the public with new changing galleries, permanent gallery space, a new public entrance lobby, and more. It will cement the Bruce's legacy as a regionally-based, world-class museum merging art, science, and natural history. The building will open directly onto Bruce Park and feature a delicate striated façade of cast stone and glass inspired by Connecticut’s rock quarries.

Construction Progress from the End of May to June 16, 2021.

During the last week of May, the foundation for the new building was completed, and we received our full building permit. Since the beginning of June, roughly 1/2 of the steel has been erected.

Please view Turner Construction Company’s progressive work to date on the New Bruce time-lapse video posted on the home page.

Painting the Woodlands Diorama

The main attraction in the Science Gallery's Terrestrial Ecosystem Gallery will be an updated version of the beloved woodland diorama. Our exhibition artist Sean Murtha, seen here, is painting the background of late spring.⁠
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Visit the New Bruce Science page for more information.