Kohl Children's Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1985 |
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| Location | Glenview, Illinois, United States |
| Type | Children's museum |
The Kohl Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago is a special place in Glenview, Illinois. It's a children's museum where kids from birth to 8 years old can learn by doing. Imagine a giant play space where everything teaches you something new!
The museum is named after Dolores Kohl. She was a kind person who loved helping others. She started the museum in 1985 through her education foundation. It's built on a big piece of land, with a large indoor building and an outdoor area. All the exhibits and activities are made to be fun and help young children learn important things.
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History of the Museum
The Kohl Children's Museum first opened its doors in 1985. It started as part of the Kohl Teaching Center. Its first home was in Wilmette, Illinois.
In 2005, the museum moved to a brand-new, bigger building. This new location is in Glenview, Illinois, in an area called "The Glen." This area used to be a naval air station. The new museum building is about twice as big as the old one, giving kids even more space to explore!
Making Learning Accessible for Everyone
The museum wants every visitor to have a great time and learn. It is designed to be welcoming for everyone. This includes guests with different physical, visual, hearing, or thinking abilities.
All public areas meet special rules for accessibility. The museum and its exhibits use something called universal design. This means they create experiences that use many senses. This way, all guests can enjoy and learn from the museum's offerings.
A Green and Eco-Friendly Building
The Kohl Children’s Museum is not just fun, it's also good for the planet! The building was made to be environmentally friendly. It uses energy wisely.
It even earned a special award called Silver-level certification. This award is for buildings that are leaders in energy and environmental design. You can find signs and activities throughout the museum. These help kids and families learn about caring for the environment. This includes both the indoor and outdoor exhibit areas.
Exciting Hands-On Exhibits
Inside the Kohl Children’s Museum, you'll find 17 different exhibits. Each one is designed for hands-on learning. This means you get to touch, play, and explore to learn new things!
Who Visits the Museum?
Many people love visiting the Kohl Children’s Museum. About 350,000 people come through its doors each year. The museum also has over 7,500 families who are members.
Reaching Out to Communities
The museum doesn't just help kids who visit. For many years, it has also helped kids in other communities. This is through a program called Early Childhood Connections. They work with schools in Chicago, like the Chicago Public Schools.
Now, the museum also helps families in nearby towns. These include Wheeling and Waukegan. They have also created programs about being fair to everyone. And they teach about healthy ways to live. These programs started in 2007 and 2008.
