On the outside looking much as it has since it opened to the public in 2003, the L. Alan Cruikshank River of Time Museum and Exploration Center has been completely renovated on the inside.

The interior has a new look and feel, with more exhibits, more stories, more interactive experiences. The changes will afford added opportunities for programming.

Visitors can look forward to an increase in specialized docent tours, a guest lecture series, and added tour experiences.

These tours will be the signature events that support the new addition to the museum’s name, “Exploration Center.” Visitors can come to the River of Time to see and hear the story of the people, plants, animals and ecology of the Lower Verde River Valley region. They then will have opportunities for excursions in the field. Patrons can learn the hunting and gathering techniques of the ancient peoples. They can experience how the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation continues to thrive on the land of their ancestors.

Building on the success of the popular Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation/River of Time Tours, the next tour program to launch is “Fantastic Foragers,” offered in partnership with the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy. This four-hour experience will be offered twice in April and then will return in October. Visit the Center’s website for reservations: riveroftime.center. Additional tour opportunities are in the planning stages and will be announced soon.

Many Fountain Hills residents, Town staff, Museum professionals and Chamber staff participated in a series of workshops designed to determine the place of the River of Time in the community and the direction folks felt the organization should head, according to Executive Director Cherie Koss.

From these meetings and under the guiding hands of Ginnie and David Rowe of DGR Communications, River of Time staff and board revised the mission statement to help move the organization beyond its walls. The new mission: “The Mission of the River of Time Museum & Exploration Center is to engage, entertain, educate and inspire people about the Lower Verde River Valley, the river that runs through it and the life that water brings to the desert.”

Koss said the name change reflects a shift from solely a history museum to a facility that supports the exploration of science, technology, engineering, math and the arts. The redesign of, and future plans for the River of Time better support the current mission which focuses in these areas, while delving deeper and expanding on them. The facility’s new name encompasses what the renovation has created and what the River of Time can still become.

The L. Alan Cruikshank River of Time Museum and Exploration Center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is located at 12901 N. LaMontana Drive.