The Children’s Museum of Atlanta has reopened to the public following a US$8.9m (€8.2m, £6m) overhaul and expansion of facilities.

With complete planning, design and project management for the development provided by Jack Rouse Associates (JRA), the museum now offers two new permanent exhibits as well as a 3,000sq ft (279sq m) mezzanine level. Renovations include four reinvigorated galleries, with the addition of a new permanent performance space for 'The Imaginators' – actors and educators who perform to visitors at the attraction.

An array of upgrades and additions to the open plan kids’ attraction, designed for play-based exploration and experiential learning, now means visitors will enjoy targeted, age-appropriate programming with a new focus on science, technology, engineering, arts and math education (STEAM).

The museum’s new central exhibit is a two-storey climbing structure, where children will climb through the layers of the earth before entering an interactive globe with six continent-shaped tables. Each table has a variety of hands-on activities based on subjects including geography, geology, astronomy, physics and aerodynamics.

The other new exhibit, “Step Up To Science”, on the new mezzanine level offers STEAM subjects, with a permanent science bar allowing children to observe and conduct scientific experiments with a team of trained experts.

The museum closed to the public on 1 August to complete the renovation works before reopening on 12 December. Following renovations, the museum anticipates visitor numbers to increase from 200,000 visitors annually to 250,000 visitors in 2016.