In 2000, a campaign known as "Strengthening the Legacy" raised funds to renovate the Museum's permanent exhibits. The ambitious renovation transformed the Museum and established it as a leading natural and cultural history museum on Florida's Gulf Coast. In 2001, a devastating fire damaged the Bishop Planetarium, education and administrative wing, prolonging renovations. In 2002 phase I of the exhibit renovation opened to the public on the first floor. After a significant grant from the federal government and support from the community, a new state-of-the-art planetarium and theatre opened in 2005. Phase II of the renovation of the second floor continued in 2006. Second floor renovations include a new medical gallery, patron's gallery, visible storage galleries, river heritage hall, and an environmental wing of exhibits depicting Florida pine uplands, riverine, estuarine and gulf waters habitats.