Madison Children's Museum (MCM)

Exhibit environments create the core educational areas and play spaces within the Museum setting, providing interactive, engaging play opportunities for children of all ages, along with their adult caregivers. Exhibits are interdisciplinary and weave together themes from our core educational initiatives: art, history, culture, science, physical, and innovation. Mcm's exhibit spaces reopened june 2021 with limited hours that increased through the next year. Relief funding supported visits by school groups as complementary informal educational experiences. The wonderground phase 1 opened in october 2021. It represents a creative and inspiring "pivot" to provide families with outdoor, screen-free, active play that is full of opportunities for creative expression and social emotional learning, all while ensuring that Madison Children's Museum emerges from the pandemic stronger than ever. Wonderground is an utterly unique and creative four-season play space where children engage in robust physical activity.in fy 2122 the wonderground was used 75% of all visitors. By design includes groundbreaking design and material choices.1) it makes active play accessible: the thicket, a 30' soaring climbing sculpture includes destination areas that are accessible to kids who are in wheelchairs or have limited mobility; a ramp that winds beneath a platform and ends up inside a pinecone, three feet off the ground; spiral stairs that are accessible to kids who can pull themselves out of a chair up to the top of stairs via a transfer station; and the entire active, ground-level play area of rolling topography provides access over engineered wood fiber material. Kids with limited mobility can go into the log cabin, its orchard and yard, move all around the thicket climber, the giant bucket, and the handicapped-accessible nook that sits against the building.2) sustainability practices and experiences for visitors. Mcm has been recognized for its outstanding sustainability work. Two notable awards are leed certification for an existing building (the first Museum in Wisconsin to achieve that) and the 2021 american alliance for museums' sustainable exhibit design award. Mcm's commitment to sustainability is good for kids, our community, and the world for many reasons: educating kids about sustainable practices prepares them to be "good global citizens," it contributes toward our overall health and survival, and it's inspiring to see how seemingly useless or discarded things can be repurposed to be useful, beautiful, whimsical, and fun. We are using local, natural and sustainable materials. By using building materials that store carbon (black locust trees), packing our space with plants that help absorb carbon, and intentionally using recycled plastic and reclaimed materials whenever possible, we are helping create a new story for our planet's future.with the wonderground expansion, exhibits occupy more than 40,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor public space - designed and fabricated by a Wisconsin workforce in collaboration with the communityincluding more than 130 local artistsand feature the use of locally obtained materials. Exhibit areas promote learning through play for ages 5 and under in the wildernest and urb garden exhibits, both of which are constructed of all natural materials. The following areas engage children up to age 12: the two-story hodgepodge mahal climber and human-sized gerbil wheel for whole-body exercise; and the art studio for creative expression. An accessible green roof, the rooftop ramble, enables four-season exploration of nature in a "park in the sky". An interactive exhibit about lakes and water quality called seymore's adventure; an exhibit called from coops to cathedrals about nature, childhood and the architecture of frank lloyd wright; a small collections exhibit currently featuring collections of Children's environmental good deeds, actions and practices; an art exhibit about nature made by children from a local community art center; a whimsical automata exhibit; an historical exhibit about the history of Children's sewing circles called "a stitch in time".

Marketing and communications programs help the Museum meet its mission by developing and delivering information about exhibits, programs, and special events to constituents throughout south central Wisconsin. The Museum uses a variety of communication methods including its website, social media, email, public relations, advertising, and printed collateral materials to spread the word about Museum activities. Exhibit signage and many Museum publications include both english and spanish versions. Marketing and education teams were combined as visitor services for all front-facing staff to ensure excellent customer service, efficient cash-handling and consistent data-tracking. The Museum actively collaborates with the downtown business improvement district, greater Madison chamber of commerce, and greater Madison convention & visitors bureau -- and many other groups such as the black, latino and lgbtq chambers of commerce -- to expand its reach through strategic partnerships.

Education programming enriches the visitor experience through classes, drop-in activities, residencies, special events, and facilitation of the visitor experience in the Museum's exhibit galleries. Programs provide deeper engagement for visitors in the Museum's core initiatives of arts, science and innovation, culture and history, health, sustainability, early learning, and accessibility. The Museum uses its programs to express its values, including the importance of play, creativity, resilience, sense of place, critical thinking, and collaboration. During fy2022, the Museum education team animated spaces throughout the region outdoors and online. Mcm served 106,000 children and families on site and produced programs on and offsite. In may 2022 mcm purchased a minivan and launched our traveling roadshow taking four hands-on exhibits and programs throughout the community. Eight locations were served in june 2022, with another 30 scheduled before winter 2022.the Museum strives to serve every child, regardless of ability, culture, or economic background. Consistent with pre-covid, the access for everyone program historically and currently provides access for nearly 1/3 of all visitors through free and low-cost admissions, memberships, outreach programming, and events.