History
Madison Children's Museum was founded in 1980 as the vision of a group of early childhood specialists. The founding board of directors and volunteers built traveling exhibits that were displayed at neighborhood centers, parks and playgrounds. They operated a pilot museum, then opened in a warehouse at Bedford and West Washington. After a successful capital campaign, Madison Children's Museum opened its doors in another rented location at 100 State Street in 1991. The museum flourished at this site and again outgrew its space. In 2005, MCM acquired a $5 million building paid for by W. Jerome Frautschi. The museum undertook a $10 million capital campaign to renovate the building, create a green roof, and install new exhibits. The new facility opened August 14, 2010, and greatly expands the museum's capacity to serve larger audiences, older children, and school groups in a strong interdisciplinary program that emphasizes the arts, sciences, history, culture, health, and civic engagement.
Specialties
The new Madison Children's Museum is an award-winning destination for fun family activities and hands-on learning! Visit our inventive city of Possible-opolis for ages 6 and up, our four-season Rooftop Ramble with animals and gardens, the art studio, our famous life-sized gerbil wheel and much more. Kids under 5 have a place of their own in the Wildernest, a global village made with natural, local materials perfect for young explorers. There's always something new to do at Madison Children's Museum, where our mission is to connect children with their family, their community, and the world beyond through discovery learning and creative play. Check our website for daily events and classes.