The Delmarva Discovery Museum in downtown Pocomoke is set to close Friday, bringing a sad end to a longtime cultural and educational institution that local leaders, supporters and museum staff say has played a major role in the identity of the city and the southern end of Worcester County.
The museum’s board announced the closure this week, saying ongoing financial challenges made it increasingly difficult to sustain operations. The City of Pocomoke, which owns the building, also acknowledged the closure and said it is working to remain in compliance with state requirements tied to the property.
Museum Director Christy Gordon said the decision was not made lightly. In an interview, Gordon said the organization had been fighting for months to keep the museum open, trying fundraisers, media outreach and public appeals for help before ultimately concluding it could no longer promise the kind of experience the museum wanted to provide.
“This decision was incredibly painful,” Gordon said. “We’ve been trying since January. We did interviews with radios and TVs and we did the GoFundMe just to try and stay open.”
Gordon said many members of the public saw the museum raise thousands of dollars and wondered why that was not enough. But she said the cost of operating the 16,000-square-foot facility, coupled with the expense of caring for its animals and planning for the future, was far greater than many people realized. She said closing also comes with its own financial burden.
“We don’t just turn the lights out on Friday and lock the doors,” Gordon said. “We have animals. We’re going to be here in a week trying to finish up and do what needs to be done because we’re going to do it right.”
The museum has said the well-being of its animals remains its highest priority and that staff members are working with accredited aquariums, wildlife centers and other qualified institutions to ensure the animals are placed in safe, professional environments.
For Gordon, the emotional toll of the decision was evident. She said the final call came only after countless discussions, number-crunching and what she described as repeated attempts to find another way forward.
“Yesterday, posting that was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” Gordon said. “Hitting that send button was very difficult.”
Gordon also praised the museum’s staff and volunteers, saying their commitment helped sustain the institution through difficult periods. She said staff members believed deeply in the museum’s mission, worked hard to support fundraising efforts and stayed with the organization as long as they could, even while facing uncertainty about their own futures.
“My staff is one of the biggest successes of this museum,” Gordon said. “My staff, my volunteers, they’re a huge part of why we’ve been so successful.”
The Delmarva Discovery Museum has been open since 2009, according to Gordon, and in that time it became known not only for its exhibits and animal ambassadors but also for its educational programs and special events. Even as the closure approaches, the museum’s website has continued listing children’s programs and other events, underscoring both the abruptness of the announcement and the breadth of programming the museum had been trying to maintain.
Supporters say the museum’s importance goes well beyond its walls. Chip Choquette, a Pocomoke business owner who publicly urged county and state leaders to intervene, said the museum has become woven into the story of the community itself.
“It’s just become a core part of the DNA here,” Choquette said.
Choquette said the museum helps preserve and explain the area’s shipbuilding and Native American history, while also serving as a place where children and families can build lasting memories. He said the news of the closure was a shock, especially because many people in the community believed the museum’s recent fundraising efforts suggested it might still have a chance to recover.
“It feels like losing a friend or even a family member because it’s so core to who we are in Pocomoke now,” he said.
Choquette also said the closure could ripple through downtown commerce. He said the museum has long served as a draw that brings visitors into the heart of the city, benefiting nearby businesses and helping support continued momentum downtown.
“I think it’s going to majorly hurt the progress we’ve made here,” Choquette said.
Still, Choquette and others have tried to keep hope alive in the museum’s final days, urging officials to consider any possible public, private or nonprofit support that could buy time for a restructuring effort. But the responses they have received suggest there may not be an immediate solution before Friday.
In a statement shared with Choquette, Worcester County Councilwoman Caryn Abbott said she had been in contact with Gordon and provided information on an open grant opportunity through the Local Management Board, though the application deadline is in April and award decisions are not immediate. Abbott also said county officials indicated there is no short-term ability to provide help outside the budget cycle and that the county’s economic development office is also trying to assist if possible.
State Sen. Mary Beth Carozza said in a separate statement that the museum has been “a key Maryland Eastern Shore destination and an important cornerstone for the southern end of Worcester County.” Carozza said she believes any future path for the museum would require a detailed business and marketing plan involving public, private and nonprofit partners, including the city, county and state and federal representatives.
For now, however, the museum’s focus remains on closing with care and dignity. Gordon said the museum would not have reached this point unless it had to, and she thanked the community for supporting the institution over the years through memberships, events, donations and advocacy.
“We thank everybody from the bottom of my heart,” Gordon said. “It means a lot.”