My babysitter took him in tow with her and her 3 kids and her sister and her two kids to the Kohl Children's Museum in Glenview today. All I knew is that it was supposed to be amazing for kids - and that they'd be gone most of the day if I called. When I told my office mate - who is from the area - that's where they were going - she was so excited for them, and told me how great it was...so I looked it up!
This place is amazing! Here's some info:
--------------------------------------------
History
Kohl Children's Museum of Greater Chicago was founded in 1985 as an extension of the Kohl Teaching Center in Wilmette, one of four such centers in Illinois and Israel conceived by Dolores Kohl in 1972 and supported by the Dolores Kohl Education Foundation. Offering creative methods of enhancing traditional approaches to teaching, Kohl Teaching Centers provided training and educational resources to teachers and helped them incorporate hands-on experiences into their classrooms. Kohl Children’s Museum was founded to continue reaching educators and extend its service to meet the growing needs of families and the community at large through interactive exhibits and hands-on programs.
In 1998, Sheridan Turner became the Museum’s president and CEO and Dolores Kohl stepped away from the day-to-day operations of the Museum, expressing a strong desire for the Museum to be funded by the community that had come to rely on its services. With new leadership in place, the Museum’s Board of Trustees, led by Board Chairman Frederick H. Waddell of Northern Trust, conceived and realized plans for a new facility in Glenview, just five miles from the original Wilmette location, which opened to the public in 2005.
Location
Kohl Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago is located on an 8.8-acre parcel of land in the center of The Glen in Glenview, at 2100 Patriot Boulevard, Glenview, Illinois 60026.
Facility
Total square footage of the Museum is a 46,700 square feet, with 23,000 square feet of public space. An additional 2-acre outdoor exhibit space, Habitat Park, allows for Museum attendance to be less weather-dependent.
Accessibility
We think it's important that the Museum be equally available to guests with any level of physical, visual, auditory, or cognitive challenge. All public areas are 100% ADA-compliant. The facility and all exhibits have been designed using the principles of universal design, which go beyond accessibility with an approach that uses multi-sensory experiences as educational tools. These experiences allow all guests with any level of physical, visual, auditory, and cognitive ability to experience the Museum and its offerings.
A Green Building
It’s important for us to be good stewards of the environment in order to maintain a world that our children can enjoy for many years to come. Kohl Children’s Museum has created an environmentally friendly, energy-efficient facility that has earned Silver-level certification as a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Signage and activities provide children and families with hands-on learning opportunities about environmental concerns in both the indoor and outdoor exhibit spaces, accessible year-round.
Exhibits
Kohl Children’s Museum houses 17 hands-on, interactive exhibits that support the strategic direction of the Museum as outlined in its mission statement and key beliefs. Exhibits include:
* Adventures in Art
* All About Me
* City on the Move
* Cooperation Station
* Discovery Maze
* Habitat Park
* Hands On House
* McCormick Tribune Main Street
-Car Care
-Doll Day Care
-Dominick’s
-Pet Vet
-Play Library
-Potbelly Sandwich Works
* Music Makers
* Nature Explorers
* Water Works
* A 1,200 sq. ft. Traveling Exhibit Gallery
Outreach Programs
For many years, the Museum has reached out to underserved and at-risk communities through its Early Childhood Connections program, working primarily with Chicago Public Schools. The Museum is now able to offer its programs to families in Wheeling and Waukegan, and has also developed outreach programs on anti-bias initiatives and healthy lifestyles in 2007 and 2008.
------------------------------------------------
Isn't that great? I am so impressed with the thought that went into every detail of this amazing place. More info is on their website here.
Plus my mother-in-law's maiden name (and my brother-in-law's first name) is Kohl. Makes me wonder if there's a connection. :) Either way I am impressed by this place and want to take D back someday myself! My babysitter said he had a great time, all the babies in the place looked like they were overstimulated and loving it!
2 comments:
ummm i loved that museum as a small child. and would still love it today. whenever you want to take tiny back i would love to go too!
That sounds great! I love children's museums. There's one here that Mom and Dad and I took Joey to, and he absolutely loved it. There's a Clifford the Big Red Dog exhibit there right now that we are going to hurry up and take Joey and Leah to. Those museums are great for every age. What a wonderful experience for little D.
Post a Comment