Anyone familiar with the Children's Museum knows their Arctic exhibit has been a little worse for wear for some time — but not for lack of trying.

“We've been talking about it for years,” said Jo Jennings, communications coordinator at the Children's Museum, of renovating the outdated but still popular space.

The area is the oldest in the museum, having been around since 1984. Due to lack of funding — the museum receives all of its funding from outside donors — it remains just a little behind the more modern exhibits like the space one.

But all that is about to change once the New Year hits.

The museum has officially launched their Arctic Discovery Campaign, in conjunction with a $50,000 gift from the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, to redesign and re-launch the exhibit.

The goal is to have the new Arctic display reflect the current Arctic landscape, its people, its culture and to touch on controversial issues like sovereignty and the environment, said Jennings. “It's not just cuddly polar bears.”

The monetary goal for the campaign is $900,000 to create the 15 square feet space that will move from the first floor to the third. “We're a good chunk of the way there,” said Jennings.

The museum is encouraging the support of kids and their parents, as well as and outside groups who want to be involved in creating the new interactive exhibit.

The new gallery is expected to open in the early spring of 2011.

For more information on the gallery, visit myarcticdiscovery.ca to see 3D renderings of the design and more.