St. George Children's Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 2013 |
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| Location | 86 South Main Street, St. George Utah |
The St. George Children's Museum is a special place in St. George, Utah, USA. It's a children's museum where kids can learn and play. It's also a nonprofit, which means it's run for the good of the community, not to make money. This museum offers many fun, hands-on activities for children of all ages.
Contents
How the Museum Started
The St. George Children's Museum officially opened in November 2013. It is located in the old Dixie Academy building. People in the community wanted a fun, interactive place for kids.
Early Ideas and Challenges
Years before the museum opened, four women had a big idea. Paula Bell, Althea Southwick, Dawn Sandberg, and Kay Bowen met often. They dreamed of a place where children could explore and discover things. Their main problems were finding a building and getting enough money.
Getting City Support
Gail Bunker, a member of the St. George City Council, helped a lot. She was part of the early volunteer group for the museum. Ms. Bunker and others shared their ideas with the City Council. The Council liked the plan. They agreed to let the group use the basement of the old county courthouse. This helped get more people interested and raise money.
Becoming Official and Finding a Home
In 2010, a board of directors was formed. They worked on finding a location and getting money. They also worked to become a nonprofit organization. In September 2012, the museum officially became tax-exempt. This means they don't have to pay certain taxes.
In 2013, Mayor Dan McArthur and Gail Bunker made a big announcement. The City of St. George would let the museum use the historic Leisure Arts Building. This building is also known as the Dixie Academy. The city hoped this would help make the downtown area more lively.
Amazing Donations
The Discovery Children's Museum in Las Vegas helped a lot. They were moving to a new, bigger location. They gave the St. George Children's Museum over $1 million worth of items! They also sold some other items for a very low price. These donations were a huge help.
The museum welcomed its first visitors on November 21, 2013. Since then, it has continued to grow. The museum keeps its exhibits updated and exciting for everyone.
Explore the Museum's Exhibits
The museum is about 10,000 square feet in size. It has ten different rooms spread across two levels. There is an elevator inside, making it easy to move between floors. You can also find an accessible entrance at the back, near the parking lot. The top floor of the building is rented by the City for special events. It is not part of the museum itself.
Lower Level Adventures
The lower level of the museum has many exciting exhibits:
- Prehistoric Discovery: Travel back in time to learn about dinosaurs and ancient life.
- Red Cliffs Desert Reserve Discovery: Explore the local desert environment. Learn about the plants and animals that live there.
- Sports Room: Get active and try out different sports activities.
- Science Exhibit: Discover how things work with fun science experiments.
- Music Exhibit: Make some noise and learn about different musical instruments.
- Art Exhibit: Get creative and make your own masterpieces.
- Castle Exhibit: Step into a medieval castle and imagine life long ago.
Main Floor Fun
The main floor is packed with interactive exhibits that look like a small town:
- Boots Cox Dairy Farm: Learn where milk comes from and what happens on a farm.
- Skywest Airport and Stephen Wade Auto Shop: Pretend to fly a plane or fix a car.
- Tuachan Theater: Put on a show and explore the world of performing arts.
- Government: Learn about how local government works in a simple way.
- State Farm of Southern Utah Bank: Practice managing money and learn about banking.
- Smith's Grocery Store: Go shopping and learn about healthy food choices.
- Kids at Work: Try out different jobs and see what it's like to be a grown-up.
The main floor also has a hallway designed like a main street. You'll find a party room, offices, and restrooms there too.
