Manitoba Children's Museum

The museum was founded in 1983. It opened its first exhibit in a {{convert|4000|sqft|m2}} warehouse on 21 June 1986. The museum boasted three permanent galleries: the Grain Elevator and Train, Making Sense and The Big Top, and drew 65,000 visitors the first year. The museum expanded at the location in 1988, doubling its space.

In 1989 plans were initiated to move the museum to a new space. In 1994, after a $4 million capital campaign, the museum moved to its permanent home at the former Kinsmen Building (also known as the Northern Pacific and Manitoba Railway Repair Shop or the CNR Bridges and Structures Building) in The Forks. The building at the Forks location is the oldest surviving train repair facility in Manitoba. Constructed in 1889 by the Northern Pacific and Manitoba Railway Company, the building originally included a machine and blacksmith shop, engine house and a ten-stall roundhouse and turntable. Designed by John Woodman, it was typical example of a late nineteenth-century industrial building and was formally recognized as a Provincial Heritage Site on 22 March 1995.{{cite web|title=Northern Pacific and Manitoba Railway Repair Shop|url=http://historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=4568|publisher=Canada's Historic Places|access-date=9 October 2012}}

File:Entrance to Manitoba Children's Museum at the Forks in Winnipeg, Manitoba.JPG

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 4 June 2011.{{cite news|last=Vesely|first=Carolin|title=Bigger, better Children's Museum set to reopen after $10-million makeover|url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/just-kidding-again-123008218.html|access-date=6 October 2012|newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press|date=2 June 2011}} The 12 galleries were designed as separate structures so that if one is under repair or construction, it does not affect the other galleries. The galleries were designed by Montreal's Toboggan Design. The 2011 renovation included the addition of a new {{convert|3500|sqft|m2}} Welcome Centre, that includes a new admissions desk, museum shop and lunch room.

File:Manitoba_Children%27s_Museum,_The_Forks,_Winnipeg_(505106)_(24744827234).jpg

The majority of the funding for the renovations came from the federal government ($2.5 million under Canadian Heritage's Canada Cultural Spaces Fund and $1.25 million under Infrastructure Canada's Infrastructure Stimulus Fund), the provincial government ($1.25 million) and the City of Winnipeg ($446,000). The rest of the funding came from private donors, including philanthropists John and Bonnie Buhler ($800,000), as well as other fundraising activities.{{cite web|title=GOVERNMENTS CELEBRATE THE COMPLETION OF THE MANITOBA CHILDREN’S MUSEUM RENOVATIONS|url=http://childrensmuseum.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Media-Release-Aug.18.11.pdf|publisher=Manitoba Children's Museum|accessdate=6 October 2012|date=18 August 2011|page=2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111201011536/http://childrensmuseum.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Media-Release-Aug.18.11.pdf|archive-date=1 December 2011|url-status=dead}}

The Children's Museum features twelve permanent galleries.{{cite web|title=Children's Museum Now Open to the Public |url=http://childrensmuseum.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Media_Release.Jun_.05.11.pdf |publisher=Manitoba Children's Museum |access-date=6 October 2012 |date=6 June 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111201015523/http://childrensmuseum.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Media_Release.Jun_.05.11.pdf |archivedate=1 December 2011 }} 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.

18% of the museum's operating budget comes from supporting levels of the government. Earned revenue (including admission and membership fees, shop sales, birthdays, and museum rentals) and fundraising initiatives cover the remaining 82% of operating costs.{{cite web|title=Children's Museum posts surplus budget for 2011|url=http://childrensmuseum.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/CM-Media-Release-Jun.27.12.pdf|publisher=Manitoba Children's Museum|access-date=6 October 2012|date=27 June 2012}}{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

Current museum galleries include:

• Time Squared{{cite web|title=Time Squared|url=http://childrensmuseum.com/visit/permanent-galleries/time-squared|publisher=Manitoba Children's Museum|access-date=6 October 2012}}
• Tot Spot{{cite web|title=Tot Spot|url=http://childrensmuseum.com/visit/permanent-galleries/tot-spot|publisher=Manitoba Children's Museum|access-date=6 October 2012}}
• Tumble Zone{{cite web|title=Tumble Zone|url=http://childrensmuseum.com/visit/permanent-galleries/tumble-zone|publisher=Manitoba Children's Museum|access-date=6 October 2012}}
• Mellow Marsh{{cite web|title=Mellow Marsh|url=http://childrensmuseum.com/visit/permanent-galleries/mellow-marsh|publisher=Manitoba Children's Museum|access-date=6 October 2012}}
• Illusion Tunnel{{cite web|title=Illusion Tunnel|url=http://childrensmuseum.com/visit/permanent-galleries/illusion-tunnel|publisher=Manitoba Children's Museum|accessdate=6 October 2012}}
• Junction 9161{{cite web|title=Junction 9161|url=http://childrensmuseum.com/visit/permanent-galleries/junction-9161|publisher=Manitoba Children's Museum|accessdate=6 October 2012}}
• Engine House{{cite web|title=Engine House|url=http://childrensmuseum.com/visit/permanent-galleries/engine-house|publisher=Manitoba Children's Museum|accessdate=6 October 2012}}
• Story Line{{cite web|title=Story Line|url=http://childrensmuseum.com/visit/permanent-galleries/story-line|publisher=Manitoba Children's Museum|accessdate=6 October 2012}}
• Milk Machine{{cite web|title=Milk Machine|url=http://childrensmuseum.com/visit/permanent-galleries/milk-machine|publisher=Manitoba Children's Museum|accessdate=6 October 2012}}
• Splash Lab{{cite web|title=Splash Lab|url=http://childrensmuseum.com/visit/permanent-galleries/splash-lab|publisher=Manitoba Children's Museum|accessdate=6 October 2012}}
• Pop m'Art{{cite web|title=Pop m'Art|url=http://childrensmuseum.com/visit/permanent-galleries/pop-mart|publisher=Manitoba Children's Museum|accessdate=6 October 2012}}
• Lasagna Lookout{{cite web|title=Lasagna Lookout|url=http://childrensmuseum.com/visit/permanent-galleries/lasagna-lookout|publisher=Manitoba Children's Museum|accessdate=6 October 2012}}

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. The display has been fully restored and relocated from the ninth floor annex of the Eaton's downtown store. The display includes fifteen vignettes including classics such as Cinderella, Humpty Dumpty, and Three Blind Mice.{{cite web|title=EATON’S FAIRYTALE VIGNETTES|url=http://childrensmuseum.com/visit/travelling-exhibitions/eatons-fairytale-vignettes|publisher=Manitoba Children's Museum|accessdate=9 October 2012}}

Previous galleries include:

• The Tree & Me
• WonderWorks
• OurTV
• LiveWire
• The Sun

The Children's museum hosts a different travelling seasonal gallery every summer. These galleries have been:

• Tapescape
• Castle builders
• Run jump fly

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.

• Listed as a "Manitoba Star Attraction" by Travel Manitoba.{{cite web|title=Manitoba Children's Museum|url=http://www.travelmanitoba.com/PartnerPage/ChildrensMuseum/?opid=2253|publisher=Travel Manitoba|access-date=2012-10-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120919061034/http://www.travelmanitoba.com/PartnerPage/ChildrensMuseum/?opid=2253|archive-date=2012-09-19|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=2011 Annual Report|url=http://childrensmuseum.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/CM-Annual-Report-2011.pdf|publisher=Manitoba Children's Museum|access-date=9 October 2012|page=3}}{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
• Received Rand McNally's "Best of the Road" Attraction in the 2010 Road Atlas.{{cite web|title=About Us|url=http://childrensmuseum.com/about-us|publisher=Manitoba Children's Museum|accessdate=9 October 2012}}{{cite web|title=Best of the Road|url=http://blog.bestoftheroad.com/2009/09/09/tips-best-of-the-road-twitter/|publisher=Best of the Road Blog|accessdate=9 October 2012|date=9 September 2009}}
• 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 2011.
• "Shop", the museum's gift store, has routinely received an excellent grade from Project Peacemakers for their "Violence is Not Child's Play" annual toy inspections.
• Recognized as an International Reading Association "Celebrate Literacy Award" Winner by the Reading Council of Greater Winnipeg in 2011.
• Recognized as Where Magazine's "Best New or Improved Attraction" Winner in 2011.

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.childrensmuseum.com Manitoba Children's Museum]

{{Children's museums of Canada}}

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{{Commons}}

Category:Museums in Winnipeg

Category:Children's museums in Canada