Children's Museum of Denver
N 39° 44.929 W 105° 01.011
13S E 498556 N 4399879
The Children's Museum of Denver offers a variety of exciting playscapes designed for children from newborn through age eight. These play areas and exhibits engage children physically at the same time as they stimulate their minds and imaginations.
Waymark Code: WM172N
Location: Colorado, United States
Date Posted: 02/06/2007
Views: 151
The Children's Museum of Denver is most appropriate for children newborn to age eight and their adult caregivers.
Admission Prices
• Ages (1-59): $7.00
• Senior citizens (60+): $5.00
• Members and children under one: Free
Parking in the lot closest to The Children’s Museum is free. Parking is $3 per day in the adjacent city-owned lots. There may be a fee for non-members in The Museum’s lot during peak seasons or Museum special events.
An Overview
Since its inception in 1973, The Children’s Museum of Denver has served the metro-Denver community as a learning institute dedicated to the education and growth of young children, infant through age 8. Annually serving more than 225,000 children and their caregivers, The Museum continues to provide rich play experiences that help young children prepare for their future.
The Children’s Museum of Denver is a member of the Association of Children’s Museums, a trade organization comprised of over 460 members. Currently, children’s museums represent one of the fastest growing segments within educational/cultural institutions in the United States. Over the last decade the number of children’s museums has grown by 100%, annually reaching almost 26 million children and families. Children's museums rank second only to zoos among museum-related attractions in their ability to attract ethnically and culturally diverse audiences and address the needs of young children. The Children’s Museum of Denver is a 501(c) 3, private non-profit organization.
Our Mission: The Children’s Museum of Denver creates a community where children and their grownups learn through play.
Brief History: The first Children’s Museum of Denver opened in 1973 in a converted school bus. The Museum quickly outgrew this original facility, as the need for a participatory, hands-on educational institution for children and families was immediately apparent. We required a more permanent location in the community, so the organization leased and renovated a building on Bannock Street in Denver, opening to the public in January 1975. Within months, The Museum was drawing record numbers of visitors from throughout the metropolitan area. Planning soon began for a larger facility, and in 1984 The Museum opened a new building in its present location along the west bank of the Platte River.
For more than 33 years, The Children’s Museum of Denver has served millions of children and adults from throughout the metro Denver community. Recognizing that caregivers have less time than ever before to spend with their children, The Museum provides rich play experiences that help young children prepare for their future, while engaging their grownups in their development. With 10,319 feet of exhibit/programming space, The Museum currently offers nine interactive playscapes, monthly themed programs, and special events to make learning fun by encouraging young children to play, learn and explore. In addition, our Parent Resource Center provides caregivers with a wide array of books, magazines, pamphlets and web materials on early childhood development.
Attendance
The Children's Museum of Denver experienced record attendance in FY05, serving 228,075 visitors. An increase of 4% over FY04. In addition, The Museum had 7,065 members in FY05.
Current Programs & Accomplishments: The Museum staff develops an annual fiscal year plan and budget that articulate goals and activities based on our Board-approved five-year strategic plan. The strategic plan provides direction for all of our programs, Playscapes and exhibits. Among our current programs and exhibits, we feature
The Center for the Young Child-designed exclusively for newborns through four year olds and their caregivers, this playscape resembles a living storybook, with developmentally appropriate activities for newborns , toddlers and pre-schoolers.
CMD Fire Station No. 1-opened in 2004, this exhibit features a real fire truck, where children can freely explore and role-play, using the truck as their major prop!
My Market-supported in part by a grant from King Soopers, the market remains one of our most popular Playscapes. Children enjoy selecting their groceries, serving snacks and checking out on a real scanner, just like in the supermarket.
G.R.O.W. Science and Literacy Collaborative-Partnering with Denver Public Schools, specifically second grade teachers in several neighborhood elementary schools, this program engages underserved families and students who might not otherwise attend The Museum or participate in our programs. Focusing on lifecycles in nature, it includes teacher trainings, field trips to The Museum, an outreach program into second grade classrooms, journaling and family nights. Each participating student’s family also receives a complimentary one-year membership to The Museum. The program has doubled in size in this, its second year, and we served over 600 children and their families in FY05. This particular program is supported in large part by a $1 million dollar dedicated endowment fund created by one of our most loyal supporters, the late Helen McLoraine.
Guest Demographics
· Ninety percent of all adult guests at The Museum are female, likely due to the dominance of the female as primary care giver as well as the teachers who escort the children to The Museum. Our adult guests who visit CMD: 10% are 20 – 24; 80% are aged 25-44; and 10% are 45 and older.
· The average age of the child visiting The Museum is three. The gender of the children is representative of the Denver Metro population, approximately 50/50.
Our adult guest is highly educated with 74% having earned under-graduate degrees and an estimated 20% with post-graduate degrees. Of the remaining 20%, virtually all have graduated from high school and had some college course work.
Median household income for the adult attendees of The Museum is $75,552.
The Museum draws the majority of its members and visitors from as far north as Fort Collins and as far south as Colorado Springs. For the period January – June 2005, one quarter (25%) of general attendance visitors originate from the City and County of Denver. The remaining cities, from which visitors originate, in descending order of attendance, are: Highlands Ranch/Littleton (9%); Aurora (7%); Colorado Springs/Pueblo (4%); Arvada (3%); Englewood (3%); Parker (3%); Broomfield (2%) and Greeley/Ft. Collins (2%).
More than 70% are Internet users
Facts
Founded in 1973, The Children’s Museum of Denver has served millions of children and adults from throughout the metro Denver community as a learning institution dedicated to the education and growth of young children, ages infant through 8 years.
Located in Platte River Valley at I-25 and 23rd Avenue, exit 211
Offers nine interactive Playscapes, and monthly themed programs
10,319 feet of exhibit/programming space
Annual budget of $2.2 million
24 full-time and 5 part-time staff
Annually serves 225,000 or 18,750/month
More than 26,000 students and teachers served by CMD outreach programs
7,065 members
12,058 sponsored members from under-served families made possible by the Helen McLoraine Children’s Museum of Denver Endowment Fund (administered by the Denver Foundation)
90% of adults are female
Average age of visiting child is 3
74% of our adult guests have earned an undergraduate degree and 20% with post-graduate degrees
Median HH income if $75,552
25% of general attendance guests are from the Denver-metro area
More than 70% are internet users.
Among the Top 50 Attractions by Child Appeal in the United States according to the Zagat Survey
SCFD member (Tier II)
(All text for this waymark was copied from the Children's Museum of Denver website.)
Website: [Web Link]
Physical Address:
2121 Children's Museum Drive
Denver, CO USA
80211
Phone #: Phone number: 303.433.7444
Directions:
The Children’s Museum of Denver is centrally located in the Central Platte Valley, cradled by Gates Crescent Park and adjacent to Colorado’s Ocean Journey and Six Flags Elitch Gardens. The Museum is easily accessible from the Platte bike trail, or Interstate-25.
From I-25, take the 23rd Avenue exit, number 211. Once on 23rd Avenue, head East toward downtown, then take the first right on Children’s Museum Drive and follow the curved road to the Museum.
Parking Coordinates: N 39° 44.915 W 105° 01.025
Hours of Operation:
The Children's Museum of Denver is open 7 days per week!
Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
The Museum is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year's Day and Easter Sunday.
Museum closes early on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.
Focus of Museum: The Children's Museum of Denver's mission is to create a community where children and their grownups learn through play.
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Visit Instructions:
1. A picture of you, your family OR your GPS at either an interesting location inside the Museum or with the name or logo showing from the outside of the Museum.
2. Please answer the following questions in your log as best you can:
- What sections of the Museum did you visit?
- What was your experience like?
- Did you participate in any programs?
- What was your favourite part of the Museum?
- Are there any amenities you can share?
- Overall, how was your visit?