This was a FANTASTIC MUSEUM - we had a GREAT time playing and kids would have a blast! SO much to do, so much detail, just fun! It is not the best looking - but the most fun and most creative. Someday when we have a space, I hope it is as much fun as this museum!
My initial reactions and responses were not great - I feel guilty for thinking poorly of this museum at first.
First off - ONCE AGAIN we had a "4 block" walk in the heat down to the museum. After long days of sessions and walking/standing in exhibit halls - hoofing it in the heat can be a bit rough. Once we arrived at the museum - we had to cross a giant intersection - and the building was kind of a drab sandstone building with a large cactus garden. It didn't seem welcoming, it was more like a government building. As we learned later, this is because it is a historic building that cannot change it's front facade.
As we rounded the corner, the back of the building was modern bright, welcoming green! The first stop is the gift shop and admissions, with the pathway leading you directly into the museum and the large 3 story impressive "found object" sculpture and glittering wall of recycled cds. Right away you what catches your eye is the use of "found objects" "rep-purposed" items.
When you take a look through the pictures you'll see - "flying bath tubs", milk jug animals, rebar, etc.
This is not normally my aesthetic and not the normal aesthetic of anything in RC. It was done in a very purposeful artistic way, but I didn't quite get it yet.
Our first stop was in the "Build" or Fort exhibit. The feel of the space was that this was old house (stucco walls, painted in muted tones) and each floor had many "bedrooms". The fort room seemed like a set up in someones home. An assortment of different objects - chairs, blankets, pillows, umbrellas. Cleanliness was the first thing that popped into my head. It seemed a bit dirty, things looked old, and used. Wess said right from the start it was awesome.
But the longer we spent in the museum, the more we saw, the more we played, the better it got - until it was so fun I realized that this was the most fun I've had at a museum.
As you start moving through the spaces you see the attention to detail - each space has a different themed hook with themed educational tip cards, there was a combination of new items mixed in, and so much creativity put into each exhibit. Books were in every space and themed to the spaces - transportation in the car area, food in the food area.
They had fun imaginative play areas - a pizza oven with glowing blowing fire, aprons, fabric crust. A hot dog cart with cut up hose as the hot dogs. An ice cream bar with rolled up foam for cones. A market filled with empty food containers with beads inside. A restaurant area with a metal structure overhead made of silverware.
In every "room" or gallery or exhibit there was something for each age for the family to play together. There were baby zones themed in each space, the older children's activities, and the space is so creative, humorous, it entices parents to play.
We tried to cover upstairs first to avoid the crowds:
3rd level - noodle forest (pool noodles hung from the ceiling with bungee cords), pit stop (car race track), someplace (fabric structure made of multiple huts [one gentleman referred to them as doghouses and the surrounding walls were word walls with fabric words), book loft and nursing room (with boppies) - where storytimes are offered twice a day, open to the three story climber in atrium
2nd level - art studio (cool paint castle, sweater moose, book page ostriches), pedal power (bicycle riding down hallway to carwash), building bi (forts), eat here and texture cafe (food / market place), place for under threes sensory celebration
Outdoors was a cactus maze in recycled containers, musical instrument exhibit made of propane tank with drums, slinky races, the climbing structure (looked a bit like worms), and then circular climbing structure that looked like oreos.
The Under Threes space was fabulous with play houses, a deck like structure with an area to hide underneath, tunnels, a bridge, and raised baby beds
The first floor had whoosh air tubes (which Wess kept flinging scarves and even the hair things from the video at people from the tubes - which surprisingly everyone loved - one even landed in a drink) and the long awaited "Schuff-Perini Climber" or treehouse zilla.
The climber had milk crates at the bottom to store your personal items and was GREAT - even better than a luckey climber! There were foot holds and hand holds in all the ramps, there were dead ends and platforms, big enough for parents to fit with children - and best of all the flying bathtub!
They are even incredibly creative in their special events - Wess spoke to the security guard who has worked there only three weeks and has been busy every night working events - mostly school proms. They have brochures offering baby showers, birthday parties.
They certainly knew their audience well for the evening bringing in classic games into all the exhibit rooms (connect four, operation, apples to apples), they had candy bar bingo, a photo booth, art projects, and even an atari with classic games projected onto a large screen.
Wess' favorite thing of the night - all of the details
Angelica's favorite thing of the night - the climber
This is definitely a must visit and experience - come with an open mind!
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