Kids Discovery Factory Breaks Ground on New Museum

The long-awaited project is underway in downtown Batesville.

KDF Board Members breaking ground. From left: Brett Hofer, Daryl Werner, Lisa Deck, Emili Uden, Brad Stoneking, Rhastina Blessing, Brent Myers, Trisha Goldsmith, Amber McGuire, Sabrina Andonegui, and Jillian Freese. Photo provided.

(Batesville, Ind.) - Shovels hit the dirt and excitement filled the air as Kids Discovery Factory (KDF) officially broke ground on its long-awaited construction and renovation project in downtown Batesville.

The groundbreaking ceremony drew community members, city leaders, donors, and families to celebrate the beginning of a new chapter for the organization — one that will soon bring a world-class children’s museum to Southeastern Indiana.

The celebration took place at the future site of the museum, which will be transformed into a 10,000-square-foot, three-story hub for hands-on STEAM learning. Guests enjoyed kid-friendly activity stations, ceremonial remarks, and “first scoop” photos where both children and adults participated.

During the ceremony, Executive Director Emili Uden shared a message of gratitude and vision: “Today, we’re not just breaking ground on a building — we’re breaking ground on opportunity. This is where imagination will meet innovation, where children will explore, experiment, and discover the power of their own ideas.”

Uden reflected on the organization’s journey from mobile programs and summer camps to a regional force for learning through play: “When Kids Discovery Factory first began, we dreamed of a place that reflected our community’s spirit of creativity, craftsmanship, and collaboration. Over the years, through outreach across fifteen counties, that dream has grown stronger. And today it becomes real.”

The project has been fueled by extraordinary community investment and vision from both public and private partners, including the City of Batesville, the Accelerate Rural Indiana (ARI) READI Region, Batesville Tool & Die, the John A. Hillenbrand Family Foundation, FCN Bank, The Napoleon State Bank, and Friendship State Bank, and more.

Two early gifts provided the momentum to launch the project, from Rising Sun Regional Foundation and the Fred and Jolene Rockwood Family Foundation, each contributing $25,000 to help advance the museum from concept to construction. Both gifts were made with the goal to inspire more community investment and support the needed renovations of the building.

“To everyone who has helped us reach this milestone — thank you,” Uden said. “You are building far more than walls; you’re building confidence, creativity, and a sense of possibility in the next generation.”

Construction is now underway, with a projected late-fall opening. For more information, you can visit Kids Discovery Factory's website: www.kidsdiscoveryfactory.org, or follow them on social media.