The Live Oak Climber is one of the features for children and families at the new Cape Fear Museum of History & Science, drawing attention to live oak trees as one of the state’s most famous natural features. The museum’s new three-story facility at 230 Grace St. opened in August.

“We’re basically doubling our exhibit space ... and we are tripling our education space,” said museum director Kate Baillon.

The new museum is part of Project Grace, a partnership between the private, Wilmington-based development company Cape Fear Development and New Hanover County to redevelop a county-owned block into a new museum, new main branch of the New Hanover County Public Library and potentially private residential and commercial space.

The 95,000-square-foot public portion of Project Grace cost $77 million, but the finishing touches for the Grace Street museum alone, designed by architecture firm LS3P and built by Monteith Construction, cost $21.5 million of the total.