Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine facts for kids

Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine

Established	Museum: 1976 Theatre: 1923
Location	250 Thompson's Point Road, Portland, Maine 04102
Type	Children's museum

The Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine is a super fun place located on Thompson's Point in Portland, Maine. It has lots of hands-on exhibits and cool activities for kids and their families to enjoy. It's a great spot to learn and play!

The Story of the Museum and Theatre

How the Children's Museum Started

The Children's Museum of Maine began its journey in 1970. It was started by a group called the Junior League of Portland. At first, it was just a few rooms in Cape Elizabeth at Fort Williams Park.

In 1980, the Museum moved to a bigger Victorian house on Stevens Avenue in Portland. It became very popular with its exhibits and programs. Because more and more people wanted to visit, the Museum needed an even larger space.

So, in 1991, they started a big fundraising effort. Two years later, in 1993, the Museum opened in a grand new building. This was the old Chamber of Commerce building in downtown Portland. This new home allowed for many large, interactive exhibits. Some exhibits stayed for a long time, while others changed often.

Around 2001, the Museum decided to focus on kids from 6 months to 10 years old. They chose three main areas to teach about:

• Science education
• Learning for very young children
• Education about different cultures

The History of the Children's Theatre

A scene from "12 Dancing Princesses" in 1942

The Children's Theatre of Maine has an even longer history! It started way back in 1923. The Junior League of Portland also began this theatre. They put on small shows for young audiences. It was first called the Children's Theatre of Portland. In 1974, it changed its name to the Children's Theatre of Maine.

In the 1930s, kids started performing in the shows too! This began a tradition of shows created for and by children. The Children's Theatre practiced and performed in many different places around Portland. In the summer of 1944, they even launched their "Trailer Theatre." This was a traveling stage that folded out. It brought outdoor shows to parks and playgrounds all over the city.

In the 1950s, famous actors Bette Davis and Gary Merrill helped the Children's Theatre. Bette Davis even had her movie The Virgin Queen premiere in Portland. This event helped raise money for the theatre. Over the years, the Children's Theatre tried many different ways to put on shows.

The Museum and Theatre Join Forces

The Children's Museum and the Children's Theatre officially joined together in 2008. They celebrated this merger by putting on two plays. These were The Twelve Dancing Princesses and The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet.

In April 2009, they showed off their new "kitetails" logo. This was at their annual auction. Many changes happened at the Museum & Theatre in the following months. The DinoTracks exhibit opened in May 2009. This was a science exhibit they created with other museums.

Even though July 2009 was a very rainy month, the Museum & Theatre had over 14,000 visitors! These visitors explored the Have a Ball! exhibit, which became a permanent part of the museum. In September, they held their 4th Annual Golf Tournament. Also, the Kids on the Block puppet program started its shows.

The 2009-2010 theatre season included several exciting plays. These were Everyone Knows What a Dragon Looks Like, The Polar Express, The Emperor's New Clothes, Cinderella, and The Rabbit Who Wanted Red Wings.

Today, the Youth Ranger program hires high school students. They work as environmental educators. Outreach programs also bring the Museum & Theatre experience to many children and families each year.

Awards and Cool Stuff

The Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine has won some awesome awards!

• It won the Nickelodeon Parents' Pick Award for the Best Museum for little kids and big kids in 2008.
• It also won the Best Museum in Portland award in 2009.