Manitoba Children's Museum

History

The Manitoba Children's Museum is a non-profit, charitable Children's museum located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The museum was founded in 1983. It opened its first exhibit at a Pacific Avenue warehouse in 1986 and expanded there in 1988. In 1994, the museum moved to its permanent home at The Forks. Following a $10M capital campaign in 2010 and 2011 which included the development of 12 new permanent galleries, a renovated Arts & Exhibition Centre, and the Buhler Welcome Centre addition, the Children's Museum reopened to the public in celebration of its 25th birthday on June 4, 2011.

Background

Housed in the oldest surviving Canadian National Railways train repair facility in Manitoba, the Children’s Museum features twelve permanent galleries that spark kids’ creative learning. Visitors can hop aboard the authentic 1952 diesel locomotive and 1910 Pullman passenger coach, explore the five-storey tall Lasagna Lookout, test their perceptions in the giant Illusion Tunnel, perform water experiments in Splash Lab, and much more. A toddler exclusive space, Tot Spot serves the needs of the museum’s smallest visitors.

The museum provides public services, programs, workshops and special events - including memberships, spring and summer day camps, birthday parties, museum rentals, and more.

Current Galleries

Current museum galleries include:

• Time Squared
• Tot Spot
• Tumble Zone
• Mellow Marsh
• Illusion Tunnel
• Junction 9161
• Engine House
• Story Line
• Milk Machine
• Splash Lab
• Pop m'Art
• Lasagna Lookout

The museum is also home to the historic Eaton's fairytale vignette display, Eaton's Santa's Village, which is open seasonally from mid-November to early January for the holidays.

Affiliations

The museum is affiliated with the Canadian Museums Association (CMA), the Canadian Association of Science Centres (CASC), the Association of Children's Museums (ACM), the Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN), and the Virtual Museum of Canada.

Awards & Recognition

• Manitoba Star Attraction: The Children’s Museum is a Manitoba Star Attraction.

• Rand McNally Best of the Road™ Attraction: The Children’s Museum was proudly recognized as a Best of the Road™ attraction in the Rand McNally 2010 Road Atlas.

• Winnipeg Parent Newsmagazine Readers’ Choice Award Winner: The Children’s Museum was voted ‘Best Place for a Children’s Party’, ‘Best Place to Take Your Child on a Crummy Day’, and ‘Best Indoor Play-Place’ by readers of Winnipeg Parent Newsmagazine in 2010.

• Project Peacemakers – Excellent Grade Recipient: Shop, the Children’s Museum gift store, has routinely received an excellent grade from Project Peacemakers for their ‘Violence is Not Child’s Play’ annual toy inspections.

• International Reading Association ‘Celebrate Literacy Award’ Winner: The Children’s Museum was recognized as an International Reading Association ‘Celebrate Literacy Award’ Winner by the Reading Council of Greater Winnipeg in 2011.

• Where Magazine's National Best New or Improved Attraction Award Winner: The Children’s Museum was recognized as Where Magazine's ‘Best New or Improved Attraction’ Winner in 2011.

See Also

• Canadian Children's Museum
• Creative Kids Museum
• London Regional Children’s Museum
• Waterloo Regional Children's Museum

External links

• Manitoba Children's Museum

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