Manitoba Children's Museum facts for kids
Buhler Welcome Centre of Manitoba Children's Museum
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| Established | 1986 |
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| Location | 45 Forks Market Road Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 4T6 |
| Type | Children's museum |
| Visitors | 135,000+ annually |
The Manitoba Children's Museum is a super fun place for kids and families! It's a special kind of museum called a children's museum. You can find it in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, at a cool spot called The Forks. It's a non-profit organization, which means it's run for the community, not just to make money.
How the Museum Started
The idea for the museum first began in 1983. Its very first exhibits opened on June 21, 1986. This first location was a large warehouse, about 4,000 square feet in size.
Early Exhibits and Growth
When it first opened, the museum had three main areas. These were called the Grain Elevator and Train, Making Sense, and The Big Top. In its first year, an amazing 65,000 people visited the museum! Because it was so popular, the museum doubled its space in 1988.
Moving to a New Home
By 1989, there were plans to move the museum to an even bigger and better place. After raising $4 million, the museum moved to its current home in 1994. This new spot is at The Forks, inside an old building.
The Historic Building
The building at The Forks is very old and special. It was built in 1889 and used to be a train repair shop. It's the oldest surviving train repair building in Manitoba! It was designed by John Woodman and is now recognized as a Provincial Heritage Site.
Big Renovations in 2011
The museum had a huge makeover in 2010 and 2011. They raised $10 million for this project! This money helped them create 12 brand new permanent galleries. They also updated the Arts & Exhibition Centre and added the Buhler Welcome Centre.
Reopening and New Design
The Children's Museum reopened on June 4, 2011, just in time for its 25th birthday! The new galleries were designed by Toboggan Design from Montreal. They were built as separate areas. This means if one gallery needs repairs, it doesn't close down the others. The new Welcome Centre is about 3,500 square feet. It has a new admissions desk, a museum shop, and a lunch room.
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Who Paid for the Renovations?
Most of the money for these big changes came from different governments. The federal government gave $2.5 million and another $1.25 million. The provincial government added $1.25 million, and the City of Winnipeg gave $446,000. Other money came from private donors, like John and Bonnie Buhler, who gave $800,000.
What You Can Do Today
The Children's Museum now has twelve amazing permanent galleries for you to explore!
Exciting Galleries to Explore
- You can climb aboard a real 1952 diesel train engine. There's also a 1910 Pullman passenger coach to explore.
- Try climbing the five-story tall Lasagna Lookout!
- Test your eyes and brain in the giant Illusion Tunnel.
- Do cool water experiments in the Splash Lab.
- For the museum's youngest visitors, there's a special area called Tot Spot. It's just for toddlers!
Programs and Events
The museum offers lots of fun activities and services. These include:
- Memberships for frequent visitors.
- Spring and summer day camps.
- Birthday parties.
- You can even rent out parts of the museum for special events!
How the Museum is Funded
About 18% of the museum's running costs come from the government. The rest of the money, 82%, comes from other sources. This includes ticket sales, memberships, shop sales, and fundraising events.
Current Galleries
Here are some of the cool galleries you can visit:
- Time Squared
- Tot Spot
- Tumble Zone
- Mellow Marsh
- Illusion Tunnel
- Junction 9161
- Engine House
- Story Line
- Milk Machine
- Splash Lab
- Pop m'Art
- Lasagna Lookout
Eaton's Fairytale Display
The museum is also home to a special holiday display. It's the historic Eaton's fairytale vignette display, also known as "Santa's Village." You can see it seasonally from mid-November to early January. This display was carefully restored and moved from the old Eaton's downtown store. It has fifteen different scenes, including classic stories like Cinderella and Humpty Dumpty.
Past Galleries
Some galleries that used to be at the museum include:
- The Tree & Me
- WonderWorks
- OurTV
- LiveWire
- The Sun
Traveling Summer Galleries
Every summer, the Children's Museum hosts a different traveling gallery. These are special exhibits that visit for a limited time. Some past traveling galleries have been:
- Tapescape
- Castle builders
- Run jump fly
Museum Connections
The museum is connected with many other important groups. These include:
- The Canadian Museums Association (CMA)
- The Canadian Association of Science Centres (CASC)
- The Association of Children's Museums (ACM)
- The Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN)
- The Virtual Museum of Canada
Awards and Recognition
The Manitoba Children's Museum has won many awards and been recognized for being awesome!
- It's listed as a "Manitoba Star Attraction" by Travel Manitoba.
- It received Rand McNally's "Best of the Road" Attraction in their 2010 Road Atlas.
- Readers of Winnipeg Parent Newsmagazine voted it "Best Place for a Children's Party" and "Best Place to Take Your Child on a Crummy Day" in 2011. They also called it the "Best Indoor Play-Place."
- The museum's gift shop, "Shop," gets great grades from Project Peacemakers. They check toys each year to make sure "Violence is Not Child's Play."
- In 2011, the Reading Council of Greater Winnipeg gave it an International Reading Association "Celebrate Literacy Award."
- Where Magazine named it the "Best New or Improved Attraction" in 2011.
