Glazer Children's Museum facts for kids
| Former name | Kid City, Children's Museum of Tampa |
|---|---|
| Established | 1986 |
| Location | 110 W. Gasparilla Plaza Tampa, Florida |
| Type | Children's museum |
The Glazer Children's Museum is a fun place for kids and families in downtown Tampa, Florida. It is a special kind of museum designed just for children. You can find it right next to the Tampa Museum of Art and Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. It's also along the beautiful Tampa Riverwalk. This museum is part of a cool area called the Downtown River Arts neighborhood.
The museum is a big building, about 53,000 square feet in size. Inside, it has many exciting and interactive exhibits. These exhibits are set up in different themed areas. Sometimes, the museum also brings in special traveling exhibits. These temporary displays add even more to the museum's regular collection.
History of the Museum
The idea for the Glazer Children's Museum started a long time ago. It goes back to 1965 with a place called Safety Village in Lowry Park.
Later, in 1986, a group of people started the Children's Museum of Tampa, Inc. Many volunteers and partners helped make it happen. For over 20 years, this museum served kids and families in the Tampa Bay Area. It began in a small storefront. This first museum gave children a safe place to learn and play.
In 1989, the museum moved with help from the City of Tampa. It relocated next to the city zoo. This new spot was called Kid City. It had many small outdoor buildings that looked like a tiny town. From 1989 to 2003, Kid City was a great place. It taught kids about how communities work. Over 750,000 people visited Kid City. It became a very important part of Tampa's culture and education.
Around 2003, the museum staff and volunteers wanted to grow even more. They studied what the community needed. They talked to over 400 people. Then, they made plans for a brand new, modern children's museum. This new museum would be 53,000 square feet. It would be in downtown Tampa's new Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park.
Building the new museum cost $22 million. Construction started in March 2009. It was finished in April 2010. The museum officially opened its doors on September 25, 2010. The Glazer Family Foundation gave $5 million to the project. Because of their generous gift, the museum was named the Glazer Children's Museum. In its first year, 250,000 people visited. The museum also gave over 25,000 free tickets to kids who needed them. About 26,000 children came for school field trips and special programs.
Since it opened in 2010, the Glazer Children's Museum has welcomed more than two million guests. It is a key part of Tampa Bay's cultural area. This area includes other museums, libraries, and theaters.
Meet Big John the Triceratops
In January 2023, the museum shared exciting news. They would host a huge fossil called Big John. Big John is a fossilized Triceratops dinosaur. It is on loan from a businessman named Siddhartha Pagidipati.
When Big John arrived, workers put the fossil back together. It took less than a week to rebuild it. Big John was first shown at the museum's yearly gala on February 3, 2023. The museum also announced a special rule change. For the Big John exhibit, adults could visit without a child. This was a first for the museum. The Big John exhibit opened to the public on May 26, 2023. It includes a fun, hands-on play area for visitors.
Awards and Recognition
The Glazer Children's Museum has received many awards for its great work. These awards show how much the museum helps the community. They also recognize its excellent programs.
Source:
- 2012 - Won the Educational Outreach Award from WEDU Be More Awards
- 2015 - Won the Educational Outreach Award from WEDU Be More Awards
- 2016 - Won the Diversity and Inclusion Award from FL Division of Cultural Affairs
- 2017 - Named Non-Profit of the Year: Arts, Culture and Humanities by Tampa Bay Business Journal
- 2017 - Was a Finalist in the WEDU Be More Awards
- 2019 - Was a Finalist in the Tampa Downtown Partnership Urban Excellence Awards
- 2019 - Was a Finalist in the WEDU Be More Awards
- 2019 - Voted Best Place to Have a Birthday Party by Tampa Bay Times Best of the Best Awards
- 2019 - Named Employer of the Year by Mayor's Alliance for Persons with Disabilities
- 2019 - Named Marketer of the Year by AMA Tampa Bay
- 2019 - Honored as Non-Profit of the Year by TBBJ ONE Tampa Bay
- 2020 - Was a Finalist for Best International Digital Activity from Kids in Museums
