Madison Children's Museum

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.

Madison Children's Museum
Established1980
Location100 N. Hamilton St, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Coordinates43.0769°N 89.3844°W / 43.0769; -89.3844
TypeChildren's Museum
Visitorsover 150,000 visits annually[1]
Public transit accessAny bus line which comes near the Capitol.
Websitehttp://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.

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-02-16. Retrieved 2011-03-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. Peterson, Gary (January 14, 1982). "New museum will bring out the kid in you". The Madison Capitol Times. p. 12. Archived from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  3. Carr-Elsing, Debra (March 29, 1985). "Children's Museum dream a reality". The Madison Capital Times. p. 39. Archived from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  4. Murphy, Kevin (12 December 2000). "Madison Children's Museum plans move". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Madison, Wisconsin. ProQuest 261250474.
  5. "Madison Children's Museum Receives $5 Million Gift". Philanthrophy News Digest. 16 April 2005. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  6. Yager, Alicia (10 August 2010). "New Madison Children's Museum is an experience to behold". Wisconsin State Journal. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  7. "New rooftop renewable energy exhibits at Madison Children's Museum" (Press release). Madison Gas and Electric. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
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