Last year the centre faced closure after the Bendigo Trust informed the centre's committee of management that it would not be renewing an operational agreement.

It led to community outcry and support in the forms of petitions, crowdfunding and even a giant hug around the centre’s building.

Discovery manager Jonathan Ridnell, who began with the centre in February, said tireless work by the staff and committee had been impressive.

“They have been working tirelessly to get everything in place,” he said.

“Once you leave the (Bendigo) Trust, things like insurance and safety policies have to start again. 

“The staff have been really professional with how they have dealt with six months of uncertainty and we are really hoping after opening a week ago that 2016 will be awesome.”

Mr Ridnell said he followed the potential closing in July with interest.

“It was a big story back in July and I watched from a distance while on holidays,” he said.

“When I came back and all the hard work and community support had fallen into place.

Mr Ridnell said people donated time, money and effort to the centre because they saw it was important to the city. 

“One of my jobs is to go through a folder about two inches thick which is filled with what people want to do to help discovery,” he said.

“I think I have only just scratched the surface of what the community is prepared to do for this organisation.”

The team is planning for a bumper start to the year with its new “Minibeasts” insect exhibition opening at Easter and Australia’s most well-known science communicator Dr Karl Kruszelnicki visiting on April 18.

Mr Ridnell said it was great to see people return to the centre.

“What's nice is we have had people say, ‘I remember coming here when I was younger’,” he said.

“We want to see first, second, third generation visitors come and excite their scientific curiosity.”

PEOPLE who don’t mind getting up close and personal with creepy-crawlies will love the new exhibition at Bendigo’s Discovery Science & Technology Centre.

“Minibeasts at Discovery” opens on Easter Saturday (March 26) with the help of a $13,000 Stronger Communities grant.

The federal government grant will combined with funds raised by the Discovery centre when it was close to closing last year.

Discovery Science & Technology Centre manager Jonathan Ridnell said there was plenty to learn about the critters that will on display.

“These are creatures we want to learn a lot more about rather than squash them,” he said.

“A minibeasts show will demonstrate how they use smell, muscles and chemical reactions to catch prey and defend themselves.”