Children's Museum of Manhattan facts for kids
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| Established | 1973 |
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| Location | 212 West 83rd Street Manhattan, New York, United States |
| Public transit access | Subway:  at 86th StreetBus: M7, M11, M86, M104 |
The Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) is a fun place for kids and families in New York City. It's located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The museum was started in 1973 by Bette Korman. Back then, it was called GAME, which stood for Growth Through Art and Museum Experience. In the 1980s, it became the Children’s Museum of Manhattan. It moved to its current spot on West 83rd Street in 1989. The museum plans to move to a bigger building on 96th Street in the future.
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How Did the Museum Start?
When the museum first started in 1973, it was called GAME. At that time, New York City was facing money problems. Many schools had cut their art, music, and cultural programs. A group of artists and teachers decided to help. They set up a small space in a basement. This space served children in Harlem and the Upper West Side.
With some help from the National Endowment for the Arts, an old city courthouse was fixed up. It became a small place for exhibits, art studios, and workshops. This new place was named the Manhattan Laboratory Museum.
Growing and Expanding
The museum soon grew bigger. It added more space for exhibits and programs. This included a media center and an outdoor nature area. There was also a special center for very young children. The museum became more well-known. This happened especially with its "World of Pooh" exhibit, made with Disney.
The museum also opened "Wordplay." This was the first exhibit made just for children aged four and younger. Andy Ackerman, who was the museum's director, helped lead the Association of Children’s Museums. In 2000, the museum finished building a new entrance, lobby, and more exhibit space.
In 2005, the museum received a large grant. This money came from the Carnegie Corporation. It was part of a $20 million donation from New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg. This helped many arts and social service groups in the city.
Leadership and Visitors
In 2019, Andrew Ackerman, who had been the museum's director for almost 30 years, stepped down. As of 2021, Aileen Hefferren is the director.
The museum welcomes about 350,000 visitors each year. This is a big increase from ten years before. The Children's Museum of Manhattan also helped start the New York City Museum School. This shows how much the museum cares about reaching out to the community.
Future Plans: A New Home
In January 2018, the museum shared exciting news. It bought the old First Church of Christ, Scientist building. This building is located at 96th Street and Central Park West. The museum plans to move there after making some big changes.
The new building will have a lot more space. It will have 41,300 square feet just for galleries and exhibits. The museum hopes to open its new home in 2023. This move will allow CMOM to offer even more amazing experiences for children and families.
