Glazer Children's Museum facts for kids
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| Former name | Kid City, Children's Museum of Tampa |
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| Established | 1986 |
| Location | 110 W. Gasparilla Plaza Tampa, Florida |
| Type | Children's museum |
The Glazer Children's Museum is a special place in downtown Tampa, Florida. It's a non-profit children's museum, which means it's a fun learning spot for kids. You can find it right next to the Tampa Museum of Art and Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, along the Tampa Riverwalk. It's part of a cool area called the Downtown River Arts neighborhood.
The museum is inside a big building that's 53,000 square feet! Inside, you'll find lots of hands-on activities. These are called exhibits and they are set up in different themed areas. Sometimes, the museum also brings in special traveling exhibits for a short time. These add even more excitement to the museum's regular collection.
History of the Museum
The story of the Glazer Children's Museum began a long time ago. It started with a place called Safety Village in Lowry Park, which opened in 1965.
Later, in 1986, a group of people who cared about kids and learning started The Children's Museum of Tampa, Inc. They had help from many people and groups. This museum helped kids and families in the Tampa Bay Area for over 20 years. It started in a small shop but quickly grew. It gave children a safe place to learn and play.
In 1989, the museum moved to a new spot next to the city zoo. This new place 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 for kids to learn about community life. Over 750,000 people visited Kid City. It became a very important part of Tampa Bay's culture and education.
By 2003, the museum staff and volunteers wanted to make the museum even better. They studied what people needed and talked to over 400 people. This led to plans for a brand new, modern children's museum. It would be 53,000 square feet in downtown Tampa's new Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park.
It cost $22 million to build the new museum. Construction started in March 2009 and finished in April 2010. The museum officially opened its doors on September 25, 2010. A family called 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. It also gave away over 25,000 free tickets to kids who might not have been able to visit otherwise. About 26,000 children came on school field trips and for special learning programs.
Since it opened in 2010, more than two million people have visited the Glazer Children's Museum. It's now a key part of Tampa Bay's cultural area. This area includes other museums, libraries, and theaters.
Meet Big John the Dinosaur
In January 2023, the museum announced something super exciting! They would host a huge fossil of a dinosaur named Big John. Big John is a Triceratops, a dinosaur famous for its three horns. This amazing fossil is on loan from a businessman in Tampa.
When Big John arrived, workers put the fossil together in less than a week. It was first shown at the museum's yearly party on February 3, 2023. To celebrate Big John, the museum even changed a rule! Usually, adults can't visit the museum without a child. But for Big John, they made an exception. The Big John exhibit, which also has a hands-on play area, opened to everyone on May 26, 2023.
Images for kids
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The outside of the Glazer Children's Museum.
