Imagine Children's Museum facts for kids
Front entrance of the museum at Wall St. and Hoyt Ave. (2004-2022)
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| Established | 1991 |
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| Location | 1502 Wall Street Everett, Washington |
| Type | Children's museum |
Imagine Children's Museum is a special place in Everett, Washington, USA, close to Seattle. It's a children's museum that helps kids learn and play. It's also a non-profit, which means it uses its money to help the community.
Contents
Museum History
The museum first started in 1991. It was called the Children's Museum of Snohomish County back then. The idea was to create fun places for kids in Snohomish County.
It first opened its doors in 1993 in a small shop in Marysville. But it soon had to move to a temporary spot in downtown Everett in 1995. There were plans to build a permanent museum in Mill Creek. However, those plans didn't work out.
A New Home in Everett
Thanks to a generous gift from the Schack family, the museum found a permanent home. A new building was built in downtown Everett. This new museum cost $4.75 million to build. It used to be a bank and had about 20,000 square feet of space.
The museum officially opened on October 17, 2004. It was then renamed the Imagine Children's Museum. In its first year at this bigger location, over 146,000 people visited. This was four times more visitors than before! By 2019, the museum welcomed more than 248,000 people.
Big Expansion Project
In 2020, the museum announced exciting plans for a big expansion. This project added 33,000 square feet of new space. This made the museum twice as big as it was before!
The expansion cost $25 million. It was designed to be very energy-efficient. The new building has many hands-on exhibits. These exhibits help children learn and grow through play. The expanded museum opened to members on August 19, 2022. It then had a "soft opening" for everyone on September 7, 2022. The grand opening celebration happened on October 29, 2022.
Fun Exhibits and Programs
Imagine Children's Museum has many playful learning areas. These are designed for children between 1 and 12 years old. Many exhibits show what life is like in Snohomish County.
Interactive Play Areas
- One exhibit lets kids sit in a child-sized airplane cockpit.
- There's also a real bus donated by Everett Transit that kids can explore.
- Children can also perform on a theater stage.
In 2005, the museum's rooftop became an outdoor playground. It has a two-story wooden tower and a climbing wall.
New and Exciting Exhibits
The recent expansion added even more amazing exhibits:
- Woodlands Adventure: Kids can climb among trees in a make-believe forest.
- Puget Sound Ecosystem Gallery: This area has a real gray whale skeleton. It also features a cold water aquarium with sea creatures.
- Tinker Shop: Here, children can learn to use real tools safely with an adult's help.
- Import, Export, Our Port: Kids can pretend to be a tugboat captain. They can imagine working at the Port of Everett.
