Children's Museum at Holyoke facts for kids
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A miniature cityscape exhibit, including a make-believe supermarket (left), and fire station (right)
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| Former name | Holyoke Children's Museum |
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| Established | 1981 |
| Location | 444 Dwight Street, Holyoke, MA 01040 |
| Type | Children's museum |
| Accreditation | Association of Children's Museums |
| Founder | Junior League of Holyoke |
| Public transit access | Bus: PVTA B23, P20, P21, P21E, R24, R29, X90 (all  ) |
| Nearest parking |
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The Children's Museum at Holyoke is a super fun place in Holyoke, Massachusetts, where kids can learn and play! It has cool exhibits about science, everyday life, and even a giant climbing area. You can find it Downtown, inside Holyoke Heritage State Park. The museum is in a renovated old building that used to be part of a silk mill.
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A Look Back
The Children's Museum at Holyoke started as a special idea from a group called the Junior League of Holyoke. This group wanted to create a children's museum in Holyoke. They were inspired by the Boston Children's Museum.
In 1981, they opened a test version of the museum. It was in a renovated storefront at 171 High Street. This first version had four exhibits. These included a pretend firetruck, a mock post office, and a paper mill exhibit. Kids could even make their own paper!
The test museum was a big hit! So, in 1982, the museum moved to its first permanent home. This was at 15 Papineau Street, in the old Springdale School. In these early years, the museum tried out many different exhibits. Some exhibits helped kids understand what it's like to have a disability. For example, children could try to tie shoes with big gloves. They could also try reading in braille while blindfolded.
Other exhibits introduced kids to animals like hamsters and rabbits. They also showed how seeing-eye and hearing dogs are trained. The museum also celebrated different cultures. They had events like cooking demonstrations for Indian food and Irish dancing.
On August 9, 1984, the museum became its own separate non-profit group. It was officially named Children's Museum at Holyoke, Inc. The museum then began to move to Holyoke Heritage State Park. They started renovating the Sheldon Building in 1985. This building used to be a storage area for the Skinner Silk Mills.
Finally, on June 5, 1987, the museum officially opened its doors. It shared the building with the Volleyball Hall of Fame. The very next day, the museum welcomed visitors with regular hours.
What to Explore
The museum has more than 20 permanent exhibits for kids of all ages. There are also special temporary exhibits that change often. Here are some of the cool things you can do:
- Art Studio: Get creative and make your own masterpieces.
- Curvy Climber: A huge indoor playground where you can climb and explore.
- Cityscape Replicas: A miniature city where you can pretend to be different workers.
- Ambulance
- Forklift
- Grocery Store
- Grooming & Vet Clinic
- Holyoke Police Department
- Fire Station
- Kitchen and Diner
- Mail Room
- TV Studio
- Dinosaur Dig: Dig for real local fossils!
- Frozen Shadow Room: Make cool shadows that stay on the wall.
- Light Bright Wall: Create amazing designs with colorful pegs.
- Look Out Tower: Climb up for a great view of the museum.
- Puppet Theater: Put on your own puppet show.
- Tile Table: Build and create with colorful tiles.
- World of Motion Room: Learn about how things move.
Special Events
The museum hosts some exciting events throughout the year:
- First Night Jr. - This event happens every year on December 31, New Year's Eve. It's held with the Holyoke Merry-Go-Round. You can see ice sculptures and enjoy family-friendly activities in the afternoon.
- Sensory Sundays - On the first Sunday of each month, the museum has Sensory Sundays. This program is for children on the autism spectrum or those with sensory processing disorder. During these times, the museum dims the lights. They also turn off sounds on louder exhibits, like the replica ambulance. This makes the museum a calmer place for everyone to enjoy.
See also
