- December 4, 2025
A rendering of the future Brown museum building. Courtesy image
Philanthropists Hyatt and Cici Brown. Photo by Sierra Williams
A rendering of the future Brown museum building. Courtesy image
An aerial view of the future site for The Brown museum. Courtesy image
Philanthropist Hyatt Brown. Photo by Sierra Williams
Philanthropist Hyatt Brown tells a crowd of MOAS donors, board of trustee members and community stakeholders about the future of the museum. Photo by Sierra Williams
Philanthropist Cici Brown. Photo by Sierra Williams
Andy Watts, the 2026 chair person for the Museum of Art and Sciences Board of Trustees. Photo by Sierra Williams
Employees changed over their names from ones with the MOAS logo to the new name, The Brown. Photo by Sierra Williams
The Daytona Beach Museum of Arts an Sciences is now The Brown. The vision is create a museum 'crown jewel' on par with The Guggenheim in New York City and The Perez in Miami. Photo by Sierra Williams
The Daytona Beach Museum of Arts and Sciences is stepping into a new era: it is now “The Brown: The Cici & Hyatt Brown Museum of Art, Science & History.”
The change is not just about the name, which honors the museum’s long-time benefactors Cici and Hyatt Brown. The transition signifies the museum is stepping onto a new stage, one with a lofty vision of becoming the “crown jewel” and cultural heart of Volusia County.
Andy Watts, chairman of the MOAS Board of Trustees, said the vision is to create a “premiere museum” not just in Volusia County, but in the Southeast of the United States.
“We're going to put this place on the map like no one's ever seen before,” he said.
The museum announced the name change and the launch of its “Crown Jewel Campaign” at a private event on Dec. 1, held at the Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art, showcasing the new building’s preliminary design and features. Details about the Crown Jewel Campaign and the vision for The Brown can be found at www.moasfuture.org.
The new building – two stories and around 60,000 square feet in size – will be visible from Nova Road on the 60 acres owned by MOAS at 352 S. Nova Road. A large, 60-foot sphere in the center of the building will be the museum’s new, state-of-the-art planetarium.
Watts directly referenced other iconic museums like The Guggenheim in New York City and The Perez in Miami, Florida. He said The Brown will be designed to have interests for everyone in the community, as well as something that could be a destination for visitors.
“We strive to be a cornerstone of our communities where all minds are expanded and spirits are sparked, creating deeper connections to the world using the nexus of art, science and history,” Watts said. “That is the vision that we set up for this organization.”
The new museum will leverage the MOAS’ current collections and utilize the 60-acre property for education as well. The current Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art Building will be married to the future museum building under one roof.
The Brown will have a cafe, permanent collection galleries and experiences, an adaptive, multi-sensory, experimental performance hall, a rotating special exhibition gallery and a redesigned sustainable environmental education path along Tuscawilla Preserve that connects to an education pavilion.
The existing MOAS building will be repurposed for mitigation purposes as part of the overall site plan.
MOAS CEO Tabitha Schmidt said The Brown will be more innovative, accessible, relevant and integrated.
“When we construct this we will no longer be a hidden gem, but a crown jewel,” she said.
Cici and Hyatt Brown have committed to a $150 million endowment for the museum's future, leaving just $25 million to be raised by the community.
The couple have already contributed $75 million. The other $75 million will come as a 3-for-1 match: for every $1 dollar contributed by the community, the Browns will donate another $3, to cap at the $25 million community contribution.
Combined, that is a $175 million investment. And the Browns have taken their commitment once step further: Hyatt Brown announced that should he and Cici predecease the completion of The Brown or the fundraising efforts, they have entered into a contract that obligates their estate, foundation and children into honoring the $150 million contribution.
“That money is 100% good,” he said.
The Browns first announced their $150 million endowment and 3-for-1 match in 2024. The couple has been supporting the museum since 1972, when Cici Brown began volunteering at MOAS. They donated millions of dollars to the creation of their namesake Museum of Art, and have donated hundreds of paintings to it that feature historic, natural Florida landscapes, among other subjects.
Cici Brown said museums can not survive today without endowments, as in recent years the federal and state funding for them have been repeatedly cut back.
“The endowment is more important than it ever used to be,” she said.
The current MOAS building will close on March 29, 2026, with the final dates of its current Dinosaur exhibition. From there, staff will begin the arduous process of carefully packing up all the displays, art and galleries.
Building The Brown will take two to three years, Hyatt Brown said. In the meantime, the museum will continue to serve the community through a variety of programs. The museum has planned for a mobile museum program called Framing the Future, among other community initiatives for people to enjoy.
Hyatt Brown said the community only has one shot to get this right.
“This museum is in a position to become iconic,” Hyatt Brown said. “This is going to be – and is – part of the soul of Volusia County.”
