DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) — On Wednesday, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey visited Decatur to welcome in the massive expansion of the Cook Museum of Natural Science.

The governor and the state are giving the Cook Museum a $9.5 million grant that will go towards STEM programs in the expansion.

In May, the Alabama State Legislature tabbed the Cook Museum as a designated STEM center.

“Even back then, it was clear that the museum was doing something more than just showcase the wonders of nature,” Ivey said.

But the museum directors saw a bigger picture. They saw an expansion that would include a prominent national brand 130-room hotel and a parking deck.

Scott Mayo, the museum executive director, told News 19 that in addition to the state grant, the museum will put in $20 million in private funds and

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