Madison Children's Museum
Children's Museum in Wisconsin, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Madison Children's Museum is a museum for children in Madison, Wisconsin, that contains exhibits on the arts, sciences, history, culture, health, and civic engagement.
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| Established | 1980 |
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| Location | 100 N. Hamilton St, Madison, Wisconsin, United States |
| Coordinates | 43.0769°N 89.3844°W |
| Type | Children's Museum |
| Visitors | over 150,000 visits annually[1] |
| Public transit access | Metro Transit, Any bus line which comes near the Capitol. |
| Website | http://www.madisonchildrensmuseum.org |
History
Madison Children's Museum was founded in 1980 by a group of early childhood specialists. The founding board of directors and volunteers built traveling exhibits that were displayed at neighborhood centers, parks and playgrounds. They also operated a pilot museum in the basement of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters.[2] The success of the pilot program prompted the museum to relocate to a warehouse at Bedford and West Washington in 1985.[3]
After a successful capital campaign, Madison Children's Museum opened its doors in another rented location on 100 State Street in 1991. The museum once again outgrew its space.[4] In 2005, MCM acquired a $5 million, five-story office building through the generosity of W. Jerome Frautschi.[5] The museum undertook a $10 million capital campaign to renovate the building, create an accessible green roof, and install new exhibits. The new facility opened on August 14, 2010, and greatly expanded the museum's capacity.[6]
In 2014, Madison Children's Museum earned LEED Gold certification for an existing building.[7] The museum was honored for its green practices, like its use of recycled building materials and composting practice.
Exhibits
The museum features many exhibits for kids of all ages, including a green rooftop.
