CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF ATLANTA
In December: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. every day (open 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Christmas Eve; closed on Christmas Day). In January, open six days a week (closed on Wednesdays): 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The January hours will remain in place until summer (from mid-June to early August), when the museum will be open on Wednesdays. $14.95 for children and adults. Children under 1 are free. Children's Museum of Atlanta, 275 Centennial Olympic Park Drive N.W., Atlanta. 404-659-5437, www.childrensmuseumatlanta.org/.
Read about more recent expansions and renovations at Atlanta's cultural institutions and attractions:
» At the Center for Puppetry Arts
» The Cyclorama's move to the Atlanta History Center
On a recent morning, Levi Veldsema, 5, and younger sister, Colette, 3, designed their dream house with blocks, pipes and solar power panels, filled up grocery carts with fruits and vegetables and participated in a science experiment using water, coffee filters and markers to separate the colors from black ink.
Just another day of play at the newly renovated and expanded Children's Museum of Atlanta.
Levi, Colette and their mother, who have a family membership, enjoyed a sneak peek of the museum. It officially reopens to the public this Saturday after the completion of an $8.2 million project, which had been underway since August.
The massive face-lift includes a new 3,000-square-foot mezzanine level focused on STEM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math education), several new interactive exhibits and a new performance space for storytellers and other performers. This is the museum’s first major overhaul since opening its doors 12 years ago.
The museum is designed for children from babies to age 8, and many of the favorites, including a tractor and giant ball machine, are still there. But new features, particularly hands-on STEM projects, are aimed at appealing not only to the little ones, but older kids — especially older siblings who may be going to the museum with the family.
“One of our goals was to make every moment special — maybe even a surprise. For example, when you walk up the steps to the mezzanine, you will hear the sounds of a piano,” said Jane Turner, executive director of the Children’s Museum of Atlanta.
Some of the museum’s new features include the following:
Step Up to Science: Located on the new mezzanine level, this new space brings science, technology, engineering and math to life. The area includes Dash, a programmable robot that sings, dances and responds to voice commands and ongoing science experiments at the science bar. On a recent morning, Gregg Van Laningham, who holds a Ph.D. in material science and engineering and is full-time science educator at the museum, engaged a steady stream of kids in a chromatography experiment as well as an "Under Pressure" experiment involving an orange balloon, a marshmallow and a vacuum chamber to demonstrate how changes in air pressure cause objects to expand and shrink.
Build It Lab: A wood shop where children use real tools and materials to make everything from a birdhouse to wooden holiday ornaments.
High-tech sand box: A high-tech projector mounted above tracking physical activity below in the sand box helps bring to life sand formations of mountains, lakes and rivers. Like magic, kids can create virtual rainstorms with the help of the projector, which can send a torrent of blue water cascading down the peaks of sand.
Gateway to the World: A new two-story climbing structure lets children climb through the layers of the Earth and enter a rotating globe. Six interactive continent-shaped tables surround the base of the structure.
A mini-diner: Children can "cook," use a cash register, serve meals and play the jukebox in this Waffle House-inspired diner, complete with big round lights and a child-sized kitchen and tables.
Let Your Creativity Flow: A place for kids to explore painting, pottery and music.
When the museum first opened, there were about 135,000 visitors a year. Within a few years, the number grew to 200,000 visitors a year and remained at that level. Turner, the museum’s executive director, said they anticipate the number of visitors to climb to 250,000 next year.
Even so, Turner emphasized the primary goal was to enhance the museum experience and better match what museumgoers want in a children’s museum. A survey of close to 3,000 people including members and local residents well over a year before the renovation started revealed a strong desire for more STEM elements, with the No. 1 request for the museum being to incorporate more science into the museum. And while the museum immediately started offering more science games and experiments after receiving the survey results, the major renovation provides a large space almost exclusively dedicated to STEM.
Turner said she also envisions the various exhibits working together. For example, children could make a lantern for a lantern festival in the Build It Lab and then decorate the piece of art in the art studio and then carry it upstairs to add LED lighting to complete the project.
“Play is much more than something you do after you’ve finished doing all of the ‘important things’ — it is one of the most important things children do to incorporate learning into real-life problem-solving, team-building and creative thinking,” Turner said.
Jessica Veldsema and her children, who live in Conyers, took a break after two hours of exploring the museum. While snacking on oatmeal cookies, they told their mom they weren’t even close to being ready to go.
“I want to do everything again,” said Levi.
“Me, too!” exclaimed Colette.
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