NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Nauticus is a staple of the Norfolk waterfront, and for three decades, this maritime discovery center has been teaching people of all ages. Now it's being reimagined with a $21.5 million renovation. It's part of Nauticus' first major upgrade since it opened in 1994. The upgrade consists of five new exhibits that fill the third floor. Nauticus receives $100,000 donation from Host to support renovation project "For the last four years, we've been involved in a transformation of this space — everything from stem to stern,” said Nauticus Executive Director Stephen Kirkland about the upgrade.The $21.5 million has gone a long way at Nauticus. Starting when you first walk into its new light and bright atrium, then stepping on the people mover that takes you up to one of the brand new exhibits — "Design, Build, Sail.""In essence, it's a celebration of all things STEM. Hydrodynamics, aerodynamics, buoyancy, simple machines, pulleys, all of that you can learn in here, but in a fun way,” Kirkland said.Interactive learning at its finest--like pulling yourself up to the crows nest on a pulley, learning the difficulty of steering a ship, avoiding obstacles in the water, even navigating a life-sized sailboat through high-powered winds!"It's just meant to be sort of whimsical and fun and get you thinking about the simple machines on a sailboat,” Kirkland said.It's the third of five new exhibits that's part of an overhaul called "Reimagine Nauticus". Two exhibits — 'Aquaticus' and 'Norfolk in Time' — opened earlier this year."I hesitate to use the phrase total transformation because it seems over the top, but there's no other way to describe what we've done inside this building," Kirkland said. "Everything has changed. There are no exhibits that were here before that are still here now."Two more exhibits have yet to be installed — 'Modern Naval Power,' a look into all the Navy does, and 'Water Port,' detailing the different maritime jobs in Hampton Roads. Each new exhibit promises to be high-impact and interactive."We are not a collection space museum," he said. "We're a space where we want folks to come play and interact and experience things." Those with memberships will get a special preview of 'Design, Build, Sail' this weekend before it opens to the public next week. The last two exhibits are set to open Nov. 9.