Flood damage forces closure of exhibition at Explore & More

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Flood damage to two different floors at the Explore & More Children’s Museum has forced the indefinite closure of an exhibit, museum officials said.

The “Community Treehouse” exhibit, located on the third and fourth floors of the building, was flooded Monday. It is not yet clear what caused the flooding.

Museum tours scheduled for Tuesday have been canceled and museum officials will assess the damage.

Crews are working to clean up flood damage.

“There’s just a huge amount of water like there’s a fire,” said Michelle Urbanczyk, president and CEO of Explore & More. “That triggered the fire suppression system, which caused a lot of water.”

Urbanczyk said it would take months to rebuild the museum.

The museum, which opened in Canalside in 2019, closed for a little over a month last fall for renovations and maintenance, before reopening last October.