Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine facts for kids

Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine

The building in 2023
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 fun place for kids and families. It is located on Thompson's Point in Portland, Maine. This special spot has many interactive exhibits and activities for everyone to enjoy.

How It All Started

The Children's Museum of Maine

The Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine began as the Children's Museum of Maine. It was started in 1970 by a group called the Junior League of Portland. The museum first opened in a few rooms at Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth.

In 1980, the museum moved to a Victorian house on Stevens Avenue in Portland. After more than ten years, it needed an even bigger space. So, in 1991, they started a fundraising effort. By 1993, the museum opened in a large new home. This was the old Chamber of Commerce building in downtown Portland.

This new location has hosted many big, hands-on exhibits. Some exhibits stay for a long time, while others change. In 2001, the museum decided to focus on kids aged 6 months to 10 years. They chose three main areas: science, early childhood learning, and learning about different cultures.

The Children's Theatre of Maine

The Children's Theatre of Maine has a long history, starting in 1923. The Junior League of Portland also began this part. They put on small shows for young audiences. It was first called the Children's Theatre of Portland. In 1974, it became the Children's Theatre of Maine.

In the 1930s, children started performing in the shows. This began a tradition of shows for kids, by kids. The Children's Theatre practiced and performed in many places around Portland. In the summer of 1944, they launched their Trailer Theatre. This was a traveling stage that brought outdoor shows to parks.

Famous actors Bette Davis and Gary Merrill supported the theatre in the 1950s. Bette Davis even held a special movie premiere in Portland to raise money for it. Over the years, the Children's Theatre tried many different ways to put on shows.

The Children's Museum & Theatre Together

The Children's Museum and Theatre officially joined together in 2008. They celebrated by putting on plays like The Twelve Dancing Princesses. In April 2009, they showed off their new "kitetails" logo.

Many changes happened over the next few months. The DinoTracks exhibit opened in May 2009. This was a science exhibit created with other museums. Even though July 2009 was very rainy, the Museum & Theatre had over 14,000 visitors. These visitors enjoyed the Have a Ball! exhibit, which became a permanent part of the museum.

In September, the museum held its 4th Annual Golf Tournament. The Kids on the Block puppet program also started rehearsals. The 2009-2010 theatre season included plays like The Polar Express and Cinderella. Today, the Youth Ranger program hires high school students. They teach others about the environment. Outreach programs also bring the museum's fun to nearly 2,000 children each year.

Awards and Special Mentions

The Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine has received several awards:

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