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 super fun place located in Midtown Memphis, Tennessee, USA. You can find it at 2525 Central Avenue. This museum is all about making learning exciting through play! They have lots of hands-on exhibits and cool programs for kids and their families. Imagine exploring over 20 different interactive areas!
The museum's main goal is to create amazing learning experiences. They want you to have fun while you discover new things through playing and exploring their exhibits.
The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday, usually from 9 AM to 5 PM. It's closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day, so plan your visit!
A Look Back at CMOM's Story
The Children's Museum of Memphis has an interesting past. It's actually located inside an old building that used to be a National Guard Armory. This big building was constructed a long time ago, between 1941 and 1942.
The idea for the museum came from a group of amazing people: Polly Glotzbach, Harriet McFadden, Mars Widdicombe, and Harry J. Phillips Sr. They are known as the museum's founders.
In 2013, something really cool opened at the museum: an exhibit called H2Oh! Splash. This is a fun splash pad with a garden theme, perfect for cooling off and playing with water. It was built with help from the Katherine and John Dobbs family foundation.
Important Moments in CMOM's History
Here's a quick look at some of the big events in the museum's journey:
- 1985: A group started planning for a children's museum.
- 1987: The Children's Museum of Memphis officially became a non-profit organization.
- 1988: The museum signed a deal with the City of Memphis to use the old National Guard Armory building.
- 1990: After raising $3 million for building work, the museum opened its doors to the public on June 16.
- 1991: The museum celebrated its first birthday! Over 200,000 people had visited in its first year.
- 1993: By its third birthday, more than 500,000 people had visited the museum.
- 1995: The museum celebrated five years, with over 750,000 visitors in total.
- 1997: By its seventh birthday, the museum had welcomed over one million visitors!
- 1999: The museum started a big project to raise $6 million. This money was for adding 16,000 square feet of new exhibit space.
- 2001: The museum finished its fundraising, actually raising $7.2 million! Construction for 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 celebrated welcoming its 2,000,000th visitor.
- 2008: The museum 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, provided the voice for Andy.
- 2012: The museum's entire campus was named the Katherine and John Dobbs Family Center.
- 2015: The museum took over the Memphis Grand Carousel from the City of Memphis and sent it away to be fixed up.
- 2016: The museum built a special building called the Memphis Grand Carousel Pavilion and Ballroom. This was to be the new home for the carousel.
- 2017: The Memphis Grand Carousel came back to Memphis and was set up in its new home. It is now open for everyone to enjoy daily rides!
Images for kids
See also
