 The Children's Museum of Utica, NY, a safe place to explore, learn & enjoy where there's always a rainbow! |
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View LETTERS OF SUPPORT:
| Congressman Michael Arcuri | NYS Senator Joseph Griffo | Assemblywoman RoAnn Destito |
| Thea Bowman House | Neighborhood Center | First Nursery School |
| Kids Oneida | Joseph Surace | The Burns Agency |
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March 2009 stimulus proposal projects submitte through the NYS http://economicrecovery.ny.gov website NOTE: all these projects are shovel ready. We have all contractor's bids in, plus our apprasier, engineer and board's approval. Project Name: Sustainable Green Roof; Federal Stimulus Program: Energy and Environment; Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy; $500,000. Our museum is housed in a NYS and Federally designated historic building. Built in the 1890's, we have been slowly renovating the building, making it not only energy efficient, but also aesthetically appealing to our student groups and other visitors. At the present, our roof is leaking. We had it blacktopped last summer but still have several pails around to catch the leaks. The 6,000 square foot roof is flat, and will need to be removed of and disposed, repairs done to any deteriorated wood, new drain inserts installed, wood fiber board and plywood installed w/edging, wind turbines installed, along with green garden. Project Name: Handicapped accessible bathrooms; Federal Stimulus Program: Healthcare; Health Resources & Services – Infrastructure; $250,000. The Children's Museum in Utica NY is located in a NYS and Federal historic building. Built in 1890, there currently are bathrooms only on the 1st floor. Students and visitors to our four floors of exhibits have to come down the stairs or take the elevator back to the 1st floor to use the current bathroom facilities. We need to install another set of bathrooms, that are also handicap accessible, on our 3rd floor. Everything for a bathroom will be needed, as the room designated for this currently houses computers. Project Name: Educational Interactive Exhibits; Federal Stimulus Program: Education; National Endowment for the Arts; $100,000. The Children's Museum is located in an historic five-story building in Utica, NY. We have been conducting a survey of school and scout groups, familes and others who have visited our museum, asking them what they would most like us to add. The number one choice is for more interactive history and science exhibits for older children. While our four floors do contain 100's of interactive exhibits, many are older, are for younger children, and are not the modern interactives. The new interactive exhibits would include areas of Transportation in Central NYS (including Erie Canal era); History of local Cultures (we are one of country’s largest refugee areas); Saving the Planet ("go green", conserve energy, adapt to new renewable energy sources). These exhibits would educate in an important entertaining way, increase our attendance, maintain and grow our staff. Project Name: Repairing Building Façade and Sidewalk; Federal Stimulus Program: Infrastructure; Community Development Block Grant (DCBG) Program; $500,000. The Children's Museum of History, Living History, Science and Technology is housed in a five story building built in the 1890's. Designated as a NYS and Federal Historic building, its beauty and charm are starting to crumble. The brick facade of the building is in bad shape, as is the sidewalk in front of the museum. The bricks need to be either repaired or replaced. Currently loose bricks are a potential safety issue. Repair to the building will not only put people to work in the community, but will enhance the building, thus bringing in more visitors and growing staff. Project Name: New flooring and carpeting; Federal Stimulus Program: SED Program; $250,000 The Children’s Museum of History, Living History, Science and Technology is housed in a five story building built in the 1890’s. Designated as a NYS and Federal Historic building, its beauty and charm are admired by all who visit. However, the carpeting was installed in 1965 and is worn and frayed, and unsafe in places. We need to replace flooring where needed, and carpet flooring where needed on the 2nd and 4th floors, and on the beautiful oak staircase from the 1st floor to the 4th floor. Enhancing the building, bringing in more visitors, growing staff, creating jobs . Project Name: Ecosystem & Ecological Rainforest Regeneration; Environment, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy; $500,000 The Children's Museum is located in an historic five-story building in Utica, NY. We are proposing to erect a Butterfly Amphibian Pond Ecosystem & Ecological Rainforest Regeneration building behind but connected to our current building. The structure would include solar panels, windmills, plants, gardens, rocks, butterflies, rainforest design. It will provide models of planetary and solar motion, heating affect of the Sun, life cycles of plants and animals; planet models, demonstrations of how is solar energy is transferred to the Earth and importance of energy to the ecosystem. It would tie in to weather station currently on our museum roof, enhance the existing building, bring in more visitors, provide renewable energy educational resources for student field trips and visitors, grow staff, give jobs to local contractors, strengthen our financial resources. The following was submitted on 3/26/09 (noting difference in
cost of project from what was on page 424) Pg 424, Project: Renovation of museum's Historic building $250,000
SED - 6,000 square feet of new flooring on 4th floor; handicapped accessible
bathrooms on 3rd floor; Repair 6,000 square feet of flat blacktopped
roof to prevent the current leaking into buckets onto our 4th and 5th
floors. I submitted the following: “Requested: 6,000 square feet
of new flooring on 2nd and 4th floors; handicapped accessible bathrooms
on 3rd floor; Repair 6,000 square feet of flat blacktopped roof to prevent
the current leaking into buckets onto our 4th and 5th floors and to
make that a green roof - $500,000. Project cost for these shovel ready
projects”. |
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Central New York's only Children's Museum is permanently chartered by the Board of Regents of New York State. We are passionately committed to providing a hands-on safe environment for children, families, and groups who visit. Our 4 floors of exhibits provide an enjoyable educational experience for kids from 1 to 101 to learn, experience, & create. In 2007, our building was declared a NYS & Federal historic building. We are located in the historic Main Street district of downtown Utica between majestic Union Station and Bagg's Square Memorial Park, home of Bagg's Tavern, originally a log house founded in 1794 by Moses Bagg. Guests included General George Washington, General Lafayette, Henry Clay, and General Grant. The location, near the ancient fording place of the Mohawk River and the sites of Old Forts Schuyler and Stanwix, houses the only permanent exhibit of the history and origins of the Mohawk Valley. We receive no funding for Operations costs from the City, County, State or Federal governments, thus relying solely on Admissions and Donations. Please help us improve by completing our Survey. Our Surveys over the past 9 months have shown 95% marking the Strongly Agree categories and the other 5% marking the Agree category. The choices of what they see as most important to them varies amongst the choices. Become a corporate sponsor and help sponsor our continued growth! History: One of the oldest children's museum's in the country, we were organized in the October of 1963 by the Junior League. Originally called the Junior Museum of Oneida County, our museum began in the basement of the Utica Public Library. The museum consisted of one exhibit, an Iroquois Longhouse which we still exhibit. The idea of a museum for area children caught on quickly and the museum started to grow. In October 1965, due to lack of space at the library, it moved to the former Department of Parks & Recreation Building at the Southeast corner of the Memorial Parkway and Oneida Street. In its nine year stay there, the museum developed a variety of permanent exhibits and a large range of educational programs. Interest increased steadily so that by 1974 more than 21,000 adults and children were participating. November of 1974 saw the museum move to the upstairs of the Valley View Country Club. This new location provided badly needed space for the many exhibits, storage, and gift shop. In 1975, the name of the organization was changed to Mohawk Valley Museum. Forty years later, in July of 1979, the museum was again relocated, this time to its current location in the historic Bagg's Square area. The former John C. Heiber Dry Goods Building, at 311 Main Street, Utica, NY was purchased for $35,000 by borrowing that sum from the Oneida National Bank and Trust Company of Central New York. At this time, the name of the organization was changed to The Children's Museum of History, Natural History, and Science. The five story brick building, constructed at the turn of the century, once drew visitors who came on the train from as far away as Albany and Syracuse to shop for dry goods. The interesting Romanesque Revival exterior remains as imposing as ever, and the charm of the period remains inside with its decoratively paneled central oak staircase, an original glass and wood paneled office, fourteen foot high ceiling sheathed in fancy pressed tin, and loft windows. For years, three of the five floors, approximately 6,000 square feet, were used for exhibit and program areas. In 2002, under the leadership of Marlene Brown, the mortgage on the building was paid off, the fourth floor was opened, and the name was changed to The Children's Museum of History, Natural History, Science, and Technology. One of the oldest children’s museums in the country, in 2002 The Children's Museum became the only museum in the country to be adopted by NASA – National Aeronautic & Space Administration & DOE OS – Dept. of Energy’s Office of Science). We also believe we may be one of the largest in the country. The Museum is a hands-on learning center with emphasis on local history, the arts, environmental science, and space science. The Museum provides educational programs for local school groups, home school groups, scouts, and daycare centers throughout the three county area that we serve, as well as for groups who come in by bus and train from throughout the state. Our Educational Enrichment Programs enhance learning for children of all ages. Teachers and others who book educational field trips are given resource materials for their students to enhance learning after the visit. Our 100's of hands-on exhibits
include: 1st Floor: Exhibits: Toddler Playspace, two level
Exploration Station mall; shadow & light exhibits, life size Wooden
Train, Fish tank, interactive Robot, interactive Saturn car, hyperbolic
funnel, funhouse mirrors, restrooms & changing tables, eating &
drinking areas The Museum hosts birthday parties in our neat Birthday Room. The Museum also hosts Corporate and Association and group meetings in the Community Room. Public sculpture done for and by children is sited in Bagg's Square Park. The Museum is totally accessible to persons with disabilities, has a ramp and an elevator to accommodate the needs of visitors. The Museum is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday from 9:45am to 3:45pm and Saturday from 10:00am to 4:00pm. (It is closed on Wednesday & Sundays). Check our Calendar for holiday schedules, days we may be closed for renovations, and days we may be open for special events. Is there a place for my family to eat? YES - You can bring a lunch or snack to eat in our 1st floor Kitchen/Birthday room (from 10:15am to 1:30pm), on our 1st floor bench by our museum back door, on the picnic table on the covered train platform outside our door, or (weather permitting) in the historic park outside. We have snack bags (chips etc.), soda, juice, and water available for purchase. You may also get your hand stamped and drive to a local restaurant (there are several within a mile) and return after lunch to eat in our 1st floor Kitchen/Bday room. Outside of the Museum, there is an outdoor display of real trains including an Engine & Dining Car, acquired by the National Railway Historic Society, residing on museum property. If you are interested in becoming involved with the Museum on a Board Committee or as a Board Member, please contact Marlene Brown at 315-724-6129 or email her. View Sponsors/Supporters page Read Mohawk Valley Business Journal article on Museum. * Read Utica Observer Dispatch article on Museum, "Community Treasure." .* Download museum's history flyer * Download Utica O-D history * Download Visitors Blog * Museum
Hours: Check our Online Calendar for special event & holiday schedule, renovation closings, etc. Admission
(at the door): Group
Rates (pre-booked):
Group Rates - Visit or Tour plus Educational Program (pre-booked): $8.00
per person in groups of 25-49 (visit & program, 1 chaperone free
for every 6 paid) Holiday
Schedules: Weather
Closings Return to Program
page * The Children's Museum internship and volunteer programs provide opportunities to gain valuable experience working with professional educators and children in an historically rich and diverse environment in Upstate NY. CM Internship & Volunteers Program Objective - Provide a hands-on experience training in a children's museum with professionals. Goals for All Interns - Gain an appreciation for the essential need to provide educational programs in history, the arts, science, and technology; Learn about the mission, programs and history of CM: Learn about the resources, operations and role of a children's museum; Learn the benefits of teamwork, cooperation and reinforce a sense of responsibility; Gain a valuable work experience for your resume. Age requirements for internships range from pre-college students to post-college. Goals for All Volunteers - Gain an appreciation for the essential need to help out at the museum with programs, maintenance, fix-up's, monitoring of floors; Learn about the mission, programs and history of CM: Learn about the resources, operations and role of a children's museum; Contribute to the spirit of teamwork and community cooperation; Contribute via a community service project. The ages of volunteers ranges from junior high school students to senior citizens. The opportunity to work with the museum professionals in a globally respected Children's Museum and to learn about the intricacies of all the various programs we offer and exhibits we have and the importance of what we provide to the community and to visitors both locally and around the world is what makes an internship and volunteerism at The Children's Museum a truly unique experience. Children's Museum Guidelines for interns/volunteers can be downloaded here. For more information about internships or volunteerism, contact: Executive Director Marlene B. Brown via Tel: 315-724-6129 or Email, or Mail your resume with a cover letter indicating an internship interest to: The Children's Museum, 311 Main Street, Utica, NY 13501 Executive Director Background: June 2002: The Children's Museum Board of Directors announced they had chosen Marlene B. Brown as the new Executive Director of the Children's Museum. A business futurist, retired school & university teacher, leadership and marketing consultant, active Rotarian, and former Children's Museum Board Chair, Marlene was put in charge of running the operations. She had been successfully running the operations since Oct. of 2001. Under her leadership, the museum has become financially solvent, and continues to increase and improve the number of educational programs & exhibits offered at the Children's Museum. December 2002: We doubled our attendance, paid off all outstanding debts, had the Grand Opening of our 4th floor Transportion Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow exhibits, and were adopted by NASA and the Office of Science - the only children's museum to have this honor! 2003: We installed new heating units and air conditioners on our first three floors. 2004: We installed new windows throughout the five story building. 2005: We installed new heating units and air conditioners on our 4th floor. 2006: We brought in several new exhibits and repaired several old exhibits. 2007: We were declared a NYS and Federal historic building. 2008- we opened our Commemorative Brick Sidewalk and installed new energy-efficient lighting throughout the museum, including new chandeliers, and two new roof signs. 2009- we acquired new interactive exhibits - LED "Play Dance Floor" with touch screen choices of 8 different games, 7 Activities, and 5 Lightshows; "Where on Earth" (an interactive satellite view of our planet touch screen game); and "Place In History" (an interactive scroll through inventions & time periods touch screen game). All three courtesy of a grant from The Community Foundation. We also set up a Butterfly Farm where visitors can watch the metamorphosis of catepillars into beautiful butterflies! This summer, we'll have a new Lionel Train Table interactive exhibit! We have also applied for ARRA Stimulus Funds for our continued renovation and to replace our aging roof with a new energy renewable green roof. |
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