Children's Museum of Houston facts for kids
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| Established | 1980 |
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| Location | Houston, Texas |
| Type | Children's museum |
| Public transit access |
Red Line
Museum District |
The Children's Museum Houston (CMH) is a fantastic place for kids to learn and play in the Museum District of Houston, Texas. It's a special kind of museum made just for children!
CMH was started in 1980 and opened its doors a few years later. It offers exciting exhibits and learning programs for children aged 0 to 12. These programs are available in both English and Spanish. It's one of many children's museums in the United States and one of 15 in Texas.
Contents
History of CMH
The idea for the Children's Museum Houston came from a group of parents in Houston. They wanted a special place for kids to explore and learn. The museum first opened in 1984.
At first, the museum rented space from the Blaffer Gallery at the University of Houston. A few years later, it moved to a larger rented space.
In November 1992, CMH opened its current building at 1500 Binz in Houston's Museum District. This new building was much bigger, with about 44,000 square feet of space. It was designed to welcome about 350,000 visitors each year. The famous architects Denise Scott Brown and Robert Venturi helped design the building. They made it look both important, like a grown-up building, and playful, which is perfect for a children's museum!
By 1997, the museum was super popular, welcoming 700,000 visitors every year! It became clear that the museum needed even more space to fit everyone. So, in the late 1990s, the museum started planning to grow even bigger.
In 2009, the museum's offices moved to a new building nearby. This made more space inside the main museum for fun activities. The second floor of the museum, which used to hold offices, now has a special program called the Institute for Family Learning.
Museum Expansion
The museum completed a big expansion project in 2009. This made the museum twice as big, reaching a total of 83,000 square feet!
This expansion helped the museum offer even more educational programs for families. It also added new classrooms and lab spaces through the Institute for Family Learning. The museum's branch of the Houston Public Library also doubled in size. The new part of the building connects to the original one and holds seven more exhibit galleries. This big expansion was made possible by raising over $35.5 million!
Right across the street from the main museum is another building called the E. Rudge Allen Jr. Family Education Annex. It was also finished in 2009.
Visitors to CMH
The Children's Museum Houston welcomes more than 1 million people every year! Its special outreach programs, which bring learning to schools and communities, reach an extra 250,000 people annually.
In 2009, the museum's director, Tammie Kahn, shared that over 30 percent of the museum's visitors come through tickets provided by social service groups and school outreach programs. This means many kids get to visit who might not otherwise have the chance.
Admission Information
The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. As of 2024, tickets cost $19.95 for adults and children. Kids under one year old can enter for free!
Awards and Recognition
The Children's Museum Houston has won many awards for being an amazing place!
- In 2005, MSN.com ranked CMH as the number one children's museum.
- In 2001, Child Magazine placed it second, just after the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. They looked at how helpful the staff were, how many different exhibits there were, and the overall experience.
- Parents magazine called it "America's No. 1 Children's Museum."
- Nickelodeon Parent's Picks named it the "Best Museum in Houston" in both 2009 and 2010.
- KPRC-TV (Click2Houston) also called it the "Best Museum" in 2010.
- Forbes magazine listed it as a top children's museum.
Other awards include:
- TripSaavy's 2018 Editor's Choice Award for "Best Family Attraction and Experience."
- AAA 2018 Editor's "Best Of Things To Do."
- It's been listed among the "Best Children's Museums in the U.S." by Forbes, LA Times, and USA Today.
- TripAdvisor's Certificate of Excellence "Hall of Fame."
- Kids Out and About named it one of the "Top 20 Places to Take Kids in Houston."
- The Culture Trip called it a "Top Museum and Landmark to Visit in Houston."
- Travel Channel listed it as one of "Houston's Must-See Museums."
See also
In Spanish: Museo de Niños de Houston para niños
