Discovery Center at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park Receives Major Investment from Richard King Mellon Foundation

Pittsburgh philanthropists donate $250,000 for educational experiences at America’s first undersea park

TALLAHASSEE, FL, UNITED STATES, July 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Florida State Parks Foundation today celebrated Coral Reef Awareness Week (July 20-26) by announcing a major donation toward the new, state-of-the-art Discovery Center and Aquarium at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo.

The Richard King Mellon Foundation, a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based organization with nearly 80 years of generous support for America’s environmental heritage, has committed $250,000 toward educational and interpretive experiences within the park’s new facility.

The Florida State Parks Foundation, the Florida Park Service and a wide variety of community partners broke ground on the Discovery Center and Aquarium in April. Construction is underway, and the $52 million complex is expected to open with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in 2028.

“John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is home to one of Florida’s rarest, most unique and most precious natural resources — our amazing coral reef,” said Julia Gill Woodward, CEO of the Florida State Parks Foundation. “This transformational contribution from the Richard King Mellon Foundation will help ensure that park visitors will enjoy fresh, cutting-edge experiences that create lasting memories and meaningful connections with this incredible ecosystem.”

A beloved South Florida institution for more than six decades, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park each year welcomes more than 400,000 visitors who are drawn to the park’s world-class scuba diving, snorkeling, paddling and glass-bottom boat tours.

“We are excited that John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park will soon open a state-of-the-art Discovery Center and Aquarium where visitors will learn about the coral reefs that are so important to the balance of this delicate habitat,” said Florida State Parks Director Chuck Hatcher. “The Florida State Parks Foundation has done an outstanding job in partnering with the Richard King Mellon Foundation, and we are thankful for their generous donation as we work toward our shared goals of coral reef preservation and restoration.”

Once complete, the park’s new Discovery Center and Aquarium will serve as a hub for hands-on environmental education and coral reef restoration. Seven aquarium tanks holding a total of 43,000 gallons of water will serve as the centerpiece, and additional planned interpretive elements include coral reef exploration displays, a storm simulator to highlight coral reefs’ role in protecting Florida’s coastline, a sensory wall, “creature features” to highlight the abundance of marine wildlife that depend on coral reefs, and a digital microscope.

The park has also partnered with the Mote Marine Laboratory to conduct coral restoration research and propagation activities within the Discovery Center and Aquarium. Scientists have already restored more than 200,000 corals to Florida’s reef, and corals grown in the park’s nurseries will be planted in and around the park’s nautical footprint.

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The Florida State Parks Foundation, founded in 1993 as Friends of Florida State Parks and renamed in 2018, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation whose mission is to support and help sustain the Florida Park Service, its award-winning parks and trails, local Friends groups and more than 20,000 park volunteers.

It does this through programs that preserve and protect state parks, educate visitors about the value of state parks, encourage community engagement and active use of state parks, and advocacy. All projects are completed by the Florida State Parks Foundation Services LLC, which is a limited liability company affiliate of the Foundation. The volunteer Board of Directors represents private and public sectors as well as local and statewide interests.

About the Richard King Mellon Foundation:
Founded in 1947, the Richard King Mellon Foundation is the largest foundation in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and one of the 50 largest in the world. The Foundation’s 2025 year-end net assets were $3.3 billion, and its Trustees in 2025 disbursed more than $167 million in grants and program-related investments. The Foundation focuses its funding on six primary program areas, delineated in its 2021-2030 Strategic Plan.

Tim Linafelt
Florida State Parks Foundation
+1 8505598914
email us here

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