Children's Museum

[kathiemarie]

I need your help. A friend and I are thinking of opening a children's museum in our town. Do any of you have a museum that you love going to? If so what is the name? We are in the early stages of planning and would like to see what is out there. Thanks!

[Josiegirl]

When my own kids were little we'd always take them to the Montshire Museum in Norwich Vt. A great little hands-on place, just right for kids.
They have a big bee colony inside with an outside route for the honey bees. They have a huge ant colony that was amazing to watch. A bubble room with a humungous tank where you could make huge bubbles. An elevator from 1st to 2nd floor that could be run by a bicycle if you wanted to exert the energy.
Outdoors they had paths everywhere, plus a water playway and musical instruments you could play or they could be heard when the wind blew.

[Josiegirl]

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g57353-d269842-Reviews-Montshire_Museum_of_Science-Norwich_Vermont.html#photos

Aww just looking at the pictures bring back fun family memories.
What a great idea you have! Hope you can make it happen!

[NoMoreJuice!]

We love going to Wonderscope! www.wonderscope.org. We have a membership there, and their rates can be seen on their website.

It's an old elementary school, and each room has a different theme:

--a farm-to-market room with a plastic vegetable garden, cow, silo with hay bales, and the other side has the "market" area with a cash register, shopping cart, and baskets to store the fruits and veggies.

--a "tracks" room with tons of tracks for balls and other physics type things that kids can experiment with.

--a tinker space with giant lincoln logs, tons of legos and other types of manipulatives.

--a water room with water tables to play with and an aquarium.

--a little tykes playroom full of ramps and a house for kiddos age 2 and under.

--an art room full of amazing scrap like stuff that kids can use to make art as crazy as their imaginations

--a nursery/vet hospital with an infant care center, reception desk with a phone and computer, and vet hospital in the back with stuffed animals in kennels and a lightboard with real xrays.

--the old cafeteria was turned into a large motor center, with huge foam building blocks and other things to play and explore.

[DaveA]

Bloomington Illinois has a great one.

http://www.childrensdiscoverymuseum.net/

Good luck! I hope it goes well.

[Laurel]

When we lived in Cincinnati, Ohio we used to go the Children's Museum in Indianapolis, Indiana. https://www.childrensmuseum.org/

Another idea is here in South Florida. It is much smaller and devoted more to art. I think it would be less costly to start something like this. http://www.youngatartmuseum.org/

The Young at Art Museum has hands on activities mostly. Children can paint, 'dig' for dinosaur bones, make things with Knex blocks and take them home, also other crafts and take them home. All exhibits that I remember are 'hands on'.

Laurel

[mommiebookworm]

I live in Colorado, so we go to the Children's Museum of Denver. I like how they have a separate area for babies. My kids always enjoy making a craft with all the recyclables. It's not too big, but they are remodeling right now.

[Jack Sprat]

When I was a nanny, we went here weekly. http://www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/ I loved it, the kids loved it. They had a recycle room full of stuff that companies had donated. It was $4 for a paper bag full of crafty items.

[Blackcat31]

We have a fantastic one too!

Although there are lots of exhibits and hands on things to do a main theme ours has is Judy Garland/Wizard of Oz as I live in the town she was born in.

Complete with yellow brick road and all.

Here is the link to ours. http://cdmkids.org/

[SquirrellyMama]

The Omaha, NE Children's Museum is fantastic.

Kelly

[kathiemarie]

Thanks everyone. I have been thinking about doing this for about 15 years. My town has grown and it is now a tourist destination so I think it can be done and pay for it self. I have a lot to learn but I'm lucky that my town offers classes for women who want to go into business. I have one person who said he would be open to investing, he has lots of contacts in the non-profit world so fingers crossed.

[Unregistered]

http://www.inkfun.org/

[Sunshine74]

I live about an hour away from the Strong National Museum of Play. I went with my younger cousins several years ago, and I don't know who had a better time, the adults or the kids. I definitely want to go back.

[Rockgirl]

Thanks everyone. I have been thinking about doing this for about 15 years. My town has grown and it is now a tourist destination so I think it can be done and pay for it self. I have a lot to learn but I'm lucky that my town offers classes for women who want to go into business. I have one person who said he would be open to investing, he has lots of contacts in the non-profit world so fingers crossed.

This is wonderful! If you go forward with it, please post updates and pics.