MADISON, Alabama --

the popular children's hands-on science museum, has found a new home in Madison.

The museum is relocating to the Madison Village Shopping Center at 9076 Madison Boulevard. Since being opened in 1999, Sci-Quest has shared space with Calhoun Community College at the school's Wynn Drive campus in Huntsville's Cummings Research Park.

Sci-Quest officials said they have spent the past five months seeking a new location since

to expand into the museum's space.

The museum's new site was announced at a press conference this morning.

Sci-Quest will move to Madison, Ala. 7 Gallery: Sci-Quest will move to Madison, Ala.

"We are tremendously grateful to Calhoun Community College and the city of Huntsville for their hospitality and support over the years," Randy Lycans, president of the Sci-Quest board, said in a press release.

"We are excited at by the possibilities that this move presents for us to take our visitor experience and educational outreach efforts to the next level. We look forward to a long and rewarding partnership with the city of Madison, the city of Huntsville and the entire Tennessee Valley region."

Madison Mayor Paul Finley said the city is pleased that board members chose to invest in an existing development.

"When Madison adopted its growth plan earlier this year, the Madison Boulevard corridor was identified as an area in need of reinvestment and redevelopment," Finley said in a press release. "Sci-Quest choosing to retrofit the former Winn-Dixie space will help further Madison's vision for that area."

Sci-Quest's new home will be slightly smaller, dropping to 36,000 square feet from its current location of 40,000 square feet. But new features are planned for the museum, executive director Cyndy Morgan said.

She described the plan is "to expand and enhance the Sci-Quest experience by creating a new educational and entertainment attraction like none other in the Tennessee Valley."

Morgan said she anticipates Sci-Quest will have to shut down for a few weeks to relocate all the exhibits to the new location. Officials hope to complete the move in February 2013.

"We will do everything we can to make the transition as smooth as possible for our members and guests. You've heard the saying, 'pardon our progress.' That's what we'll be asking visitors to do," Morgan said. "Any disruptions will be well worth it for children and families in the long run."

A non-profit organization, Sci-Quest has received annual funding from the city of Huntsville. For 2012, the City Council allotted $231,000.

That funding would likely disappear with Sci-Quest leaving the city.

"While we do strongly support Sci-Quest, those monies, if they move to Madison, then of course the city involvement would be drastically reduced," said Huntsville City Councilman Will Culver, who chairs the council's finance committee. "I can't tell you what amount we would do, if any."

Culver added that the museum is nearly self-sufficient and "they don't rely on the city of Huntsville (for funding)."

Morgan said the Madison City Council has committed to provide $50,000 per year to the museum for the next three years and has agreed to help find additional financial support.

Morgan and Lycans said in the press release that Sci-Quest would be kicking off a multi-million dollar capital campaign "to develop Sci-Quest into a state-of-the-art science center that will be a premier destination for families."

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle issued a statement congratulating Sci-Quest on its move.

"We congratulate Sci-Quest on finding a new location, and we wish them great success in Madison," said Battle. "Our community is fortunate to have two hands-on children's museums, EarlyWorks in downtown Huntsville and Sci-Quest in Madison, and we appreciate the essential play-based learning experiences that these diverse institutions provide for children and families."

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