Children's Museum of Memphis facts for kids
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| Established | 1990 |
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| Location | 2525 Central Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee |
| Type | Children's museum |
| Public transit access |  MATA |
The Children's Museum of Memphis (CMOM) is a really cool place in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. It's located in Midtown Memphis at 2525 Central Avenue.
CMOM's main goal is to help kids learn new things while having a blast! They do this through lots of hands-on exhibits and fun programs. The museum has over 20 interactive exhibits where you can touch, explore, and play.
The museum is usually open from Tuesday to Sunday, 9 am to 5 pm. It closes on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.
Discovering CMOM's History
The Children's Museum of Memphis is in a building that used to be a National Guard Armory. This building was constructed a long time ago, between 1941 and 1942.
The idea for the museum came from four amazing people: Polly Glotzbach, Harriet McFadden, Mars Widdicombe, and Harry J. Phillips Sr. They are known as the museum's founders.
In 2013, the museum opened an exciting new area called H2Oh! Splash. It's a splash pad with a garden theme, perfect for cooling off and having fun. A generous gift from the Katherine and John Dobbs family helped make this splash pad possible.
CMOM's Journey Through Time
Here are some important moments in the museum's history:
- 1985: A group started planning for a children's museum.
- 1987: The Children's Museum of Memphis became an official non-profit organization.
- 1988: The museum signed a lease with the City of Memphis for the old National Guard Armory building.
- 1990: After raising $3 million for construction, the museum opened its doors on June 16.
- 1991: In its first year, over 200,000 people visited the museum!
- 1993: More than 500,000 visitors had explored CMOM by its third birthday.
- 1995: The museum celebrated its fifth birthday with over 750,000 total visitors.
- 1997: Over one million people had visited the museum by its seventh birthday.
- 1999: The museum started a big project to raise $6 million. They wanted to add 16,000 square feet of new exhibit space.
- 2001: They finished their fundraising, actually raising $7.2 million! Construction on the expansion began on March 23.
- 2002: The museum's expansion was finished and opened on August 3. They also welcomed their 1,500,000th visitor!
- 2005: The museum welcomed its 2,000,000th visitor.
- 2008: CMOM reached another milestone, welcoming its 2,500,000th visitor.
- 2009: The "Hootin' Andy's Safety Train Brain Station" exhibit opened. The famous folk singer Arlo Guthrie is the voice of Andy!
- 2012: The museum's entire campus was named the Katherine and John Dobbs Family Center.
- 2015: The museum leased the historic Memphis Grand Carousel from the City of Memphis and sent it away to be fixed up.
- 2016: A special building, the Memphis Grand Carousel Pavilion and Ballroom, was built to house the carousel.
- 2017: The beautiful Memphis Grand Carousel returned to Memphis. It was installed in its new home and is now open for daily rides!
Gallery
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