The Children's Museum Board of Directors: Board Chair: John Nogas -APAC; Vice Chair: Bradley Brown - Gemini Group; Secretary: Mary Cardinale, PhD - Professor English at UC; Treasurer: Matt Chmielewski - Owner Advantechcny computer integration; Celia Domser MS, STEM Director at MVCC; Gloria Vescera, homemaker & K-Rock; Joe Marino, accountant with Brindisi law firm & Utica Common Council member, Joseph Ribaudo, Ass't Prof Physics, Utica College; Dan Olivadoti, HR & Export Compliance Specialist, Special Metals; William Sheerin, retired GE, Sr. Engineering Lab Tech; David Gordon, Corporate Manager, JC Penney, OC Legislator, 14th Dist; Alan Pelesic, Excellus BCBS Facilitated Enroller; Josh Glassberg - Capraro Technologies; Peter Servello, Oneida County Deputy Sheriff; Marilyn Dropkin, homemaker; John Stephenson - GE Elfun, Ex-Officio Member.

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 member of the museum board since 1999, the former Museum Board Chair, Marlene was put in charge of running the operations. She had been successfully running the operations since Oct. 2001. A former Senior English & Psychology teacher, and Syracuse University American Management Association instructor, Marlene was founder/owner of two small companies, and author of numerous books and leadership programs. 1 of 15 in the world to have earned the combined degrees of Certified Professional Speaker & Certified Management Consultant, she traveled extensively as an internationally recognized speaker and business futurist. In 2001 Marlene was 1 of 20 recipients awarded the 1st CNY Outstanding Women in Business Awards. In 2005, Marlene was one of 20 recipients awarded the 1st Mohawk Valley Outstanding Women in Business Awards. An active Rotarian, Marlene was the first District Governor from a Rotary eClub (NY1) whose earthly headquarters is at the Children's Museum. She is currently Executive Director of the Children's Museum of History, Natural History, Science and Technology in Utica, NY. In 2011, Marlene was chosen as a Arts & Communication recipient of the YWCA's Salute to Outstanding Women, who demonstrate excellence and leadership in their career paths and communities. Under Marlene's continued leadership as Executive Director of the Children's Museum, the museum was declared a NYS and Federal Historic Building. We continue to open additional floors and add new interactive exhibits, to renovate our historic building, to offer the children & families of our Community a quality of life attraction, to offer the schools & day care providers an educational field trip resource, and to provide one of the area's finest tourist attractions. She and her husband, Earl, continue to run the museum as unpaid volunteers.

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. 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. 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!

Reason for Being:. The Museum is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that relies on public and private support. All donations are tax deductible. When the Children's Museum was founded in 1963 by the Junior League, they didn't envision the wonderful growth of the institution they began. When we opened the doors at our current location in historic Baggs Square East in 1979, the generosity of 100's of Mohawk Valley businesses, families and foundations helped make this a reality. 1,000's of children, families, schools, scouts, tourists, responded enthusiastically, becoming engaged in activities and with our hundreds of interactive exhibits in our unique historic building.

The Children's Museum builds better brighter children through enjoyable, whole body learning experiences, educational programs and creative exhibits. This mission is driven by a vision to empower children and their grown-ups to meaningfully connect with and expand their world. Our museum is a place to discover, learn, explore, play and be creative in a fun environment. Our museum is a community resource, where families, educators and community agencies come together to help each child reach his or her greatest potential. After 48 years of intensive concept development, curriculum and program planning, facilities design, and fundraising, The Children’s Museum now has four floors open with 100's of interactive exhibits, designed with an important goal in mind, combining specific learning objectives with an informal immersive learning environment that is developmentally appropriate for children.

... We are asking the community to recognize the Museum as the vital resource it is and be part of its future. To date, we receive no funding for operations from the city, county, state, or federal governments. Admissions and other earned income cover only part of our budget, thus we rely on charitable gifts from supporters. Your tax-deductible contribution supports our exhibits and provides an educationally enjoyable environment which enhances our quality of life and brings in tourists. If you prefer to mail a check, send it to The Children's Museum, Future Fund, 311 Main Street, Utica, NY 13501 An easier way is to make a donation online via our secure shopping cart using Paypal, MasterCard or Visa. Once your donation is complete, you will receive an official US tax receipt via email. Read the American Association of Museum's 2011 economic impact letter!

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 Program Visits/Exhibits 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. With 4 floors encompassing a total of 24,000 square feet of exhibition space, the Museum is located in the former Hieber Dry Goods Building at 311 Main Street, Utica.

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, Healthy Kids Hut, Robot Room, Saturn car, hyperbolic funnel, funhouse mirrors, restrooms & changing tables, eating/drinking areas
2nd Floor: Among Exhibits: Interactive Play Dance Floor, Iroquois Long House w/Kiosk, interactive History Dioramas, Musical Stage/instruments; interactive dinosaur Dinorama, Paleontology fossil center, Clowns & Dolls, Century Toys, Trading Post, Puppet Theatre
3rd Floor: Exhibits: Living Science Center w/reptiles & insects; Train & Lego centers, Arts, Weather Station, Radio Room, Touch Screen History computers, Truck Dig, Baseball Display, Ceramic Christmas Village w/Musical Light Show; Lionel Train; handicapped/regular bathrooms.
4th Floor: Exhibits: NASA Lunar Lander / Columbia Shuttlle, Fire, Police & Sheriff exhibits, Interactive Science exhibits, Interactive Space Scale & Flight Timeline, real Airplane to take a ride in, extensive HO & Lionel interactive train collections, Educational Theatre (available at a nominal fee for Space or STEM programs or group meetings). As there are ¼ million in exhibits on this floor, it is open: Monday & Thursday 10:45am-11:15am, and Saturday 10:45am-11:30am (with last admission to that floor 15 minutes before closing the floor).

Coming soon: Interactive Erie Canal on 2nd floor + Overhead train exhibit on 4th floor! Future plans: Planetarium etc. out back!

The Museum hosts birthday parties in our neat Birthday Room. The Museum also hosts Corporate and Association and group meetings in our new Educational Theatre at a modest cost. The Museum is totally accessible to persons with disabilities, has a ramp and an elevator to accommodate the needs of visitors. The Museum is always open on Monday & Thursday 9:15am-12:45pm, Saturday 9:15am-1:00pm (unless a major holiday falls on one of these days) (last admission 1 hour before closing – call ahead as we may close early when all visitors have left). [Open add’l days when school is closed, always closed Wed & Sun]. Check our online Calendar.

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 11:00am to 12:15pm, 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 & Caboose, owned by the museum and residing on museum property. Visitors may observe the trains from our platform deck. 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 2009 article on Brown, who was quoted in Newsweek. 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 *

Browse our Museum Shop for neat gifts! Left: museum's inner wall painting

Baggs Square Memorial Park (w/museum in background)

Bagg's Square Memorial Park (pictured above Right), is the home of Bagg's Tavern & Hotel, originally built as a log house in 1794 by Moses Baggs, a blacksmith and tavern keeper who kept a thriving business there. Guests included General George Washington, General Lafayette, Henry Clay, and General Grant. Local author Joseph Bottini said, of the Bagg's Square Park area: “The park marks the site of the former Bagg's Hotel, a Utica landmark owned by the Proctor family and torn down during the great depression. This is where Utica began. This is the birthplace of Utica." The building on the property originally was intended to house memorabilia from the hotel, but has remained vacant most of its lifetime. The park also houses several historical markers related to Old Fort Schuyler that were moved from their original locations when state Route 5S was constructed. To top

Museum Hours:

Open: most of the year 3 days a week: Monday & Thursday from 9:15am to 12:45pm. and Saturday's from 9:15am to 1:15pm. Open five days a week: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9:15am -12:45pm & Saturday 9:15am -1:15pm during Holiday Week, Winter Break, Spring Break, Summer months. (check online calendar for accuracy in days open/hours) To ensure enough time to enjoy your visit, no admissions are allowed one hour before closing time. Kitchen closes one hour prior to that day's closing. We reserve the right to close early on any given day which has no visitors in. So please come early to enjoy all 4 floors!

Holiday Weeks & School Closing Hours:
The museum is open on the following national holidays:
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans' Day, Winter Break, Spring Break
The museum is closed on the following holidays:
New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Independence Day/4th of July, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day

Again - Check our Online Calendar for special event & holiday schedule, renovation closings, etc.

Admission (at the door):
$7.00 children 3 to 17; $8.00 Seniors; Veterans w/ID & College Students w/ID; $9.00 other Adults
Members and children 2 years of age and younger are Free
Admission enables you to view and intereact with all exhibits on all four floors. Last admission one hour before closing.
NOTE: While we are a not-for-profit, we receive no funding for operations from the City, County, State, or Federal government

Group Rates (pre-booked):
Group Rates - Visit & Tour of 4 floors with a Floor Guide (pre-booked):

$5.25 per person in groups of 10-14 (visit only, all pay the same fee)
$5.00 per person in groups of 15-24 (visit only, 1 chaperone free for every 6 paid)
$4.75 per person in groups of 25-49 (visit only, 1 chaperone free for every 6 paid)
$4.50 per person in groups of 50-74 (visit only, 1 chaperone free for every 6 paid)
$4.25 per person in groups of 75-99 (visit only, 1 chaperone free for every 6 paid)
$4.00 per person in groups of 100 or more (visit only, 1 chaperone free for every 6 paid)
(One teacher or adult chaperone is required for every six students, and will be admitted at no cost.
Additional chaperones pay the visit rate - combine classes to reach reduced numbers).

Group Rates - Visit or Tour plus Educational Program (pre-booked):
$25. extra for a 25 minute hands-on program in our Living Science Room for group of 15-24 children ($40. for group of 25-49; $60. for group of 50-75 children; $70. for group of 76-100 children). (1 chaperone free for every 6 paid)
$25. extra for a 25 minute ‘airplane ride’ for each child in our real airplane in a group of 20-25 ($40. for group of 25-49; $60. for group of 50-75 children; $70. for group of 76-100 children) (1 chaperone free for every 6 paid)
$25. extra for a 25 minute hands-on program on our ever-growing interactive train exhibit, in a group of 20-25 ($40. for group of 25-49; $60. for group of 50-75 children; $70. for group of 76-100 children) (1 chaperone free for every 6 paid)
$25. extra for a 25 minute unique video program in our new TW Theatre for group of 15-24 children ($40. for group of 25-49; $60. for group of 50-75 children; $70. for group of 76-100 children) (1 chaperone free for every 6 paid)
If you’re looking for a longer day, these programs require an extra ½ hour in the museum for each, an extra hour for 2, an extra hour and half for all 3 programs. Choose 2 or 3 of our museum programs and fees can be reduced further, depending on numbers. Email Director Marlene if this applies to you. Also available, a 2 hr tour of the museum’s 4 floors of interactive exhibits; bag lunch in our kitchen; followed by a 1 hr ride on the Adirondack Scenic Railroad to the Utica Marsh & Canal & back. Only $9.95 per person (available Monday's only from spring to fall. Must book with Museum Director Marlene marlenebrown@roadrunner.com who will check on train availability.

Weather Closings
View Weather policy

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The Children's Museum Internship & Volunteer Information

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

Children's Museum of Nat'l History, History, Science & Technology, at 311 Main Street in Utica NY - serving Utica, Rome, the Mohawk Valley, CNY, & beyond Future & Funding Page * Stimulus Grants / Support Letters	6-10 Children's Museum Board of Directors Annual Dinner Mtg
6-10 Children's Museum Board of Directors Annual Dinner Mtg

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, thanks to then Congressman Sherry Boehlert - the only children's museum to have this honor!

2003: The museum continued its growth; installed new Heating & Air Conditioning on most floors; became headquarters of the Int’l Halls of Fame: Bicycling, Canoeing, Rowing, Kayaking.

2004: The museum continued its growth, securing a new oak front door and updated front entranceway (thanks to the GE Elfun’s), became headquarters for the Guinness World Record holder Mike Zarnock’s Hot Wheels Hall of Fame.

2005: We installed new energy-efficient windows throughout (thanks to grants from then NYS Senator Ray Meier, Community Foundation & Nimo Foundation).

2006: We cut the ribbon on our Commemorative Brick Sidewalk, and continued our renovations & growth.

2007: We were certified as a NYS & Federal Historic building. We continue to be a quality of life and tourist attraction for the City of Utica, MV and CNY.

2008- we installed new energy-efficient lighting throughout, plus two new roof signs & new chandeliers, thanks to a grant from Senator Griffo & the NYPA & donations from Color Ad & Serianni Signs & Meyda Tiffany.

2009 - we installed four new Interactive Exhibits – an LED Play Dance Floor, Touch Screen History Quizzes (thanks to The Community Foundation), and a Lionel Train Table (thanks to The GE Elfun’s). We met with City of Utica and County of Oneida officials and council/board to request a small annual donation to the museum, and will be applying for CDBG and United Way funding in January 2010. We also applied for several Stimulus Fund Recovery Projects and other grants to continue our renovation & growth. We were chosen as 1 of the 3 finalist in the Mohawk Valley's Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year award in the category of NFP's with under 50 employees.

2010, we redid our leaking roof (taking it from 25 lbs psf to 5 lbs psf), setup a donated Christmas ceramic village exhibit w/musical light show, setup a donated HO train exhibit, were named 1 of 3 finalists in MV’s Business of Year NFP’s. We again applied for Federal, State, CDBG & United Way funding + County bed tax.

2011, our Executive Director was chosen the YWCA Salute to Outstanding Women Leaders. This year, thanks to a grant from The Community Foundation, we installed additional handicapped bathrooms on our 3rd floor, enclosed our outside trains to secure visitors safety, opened a Healthy Kids Hut on our 1st floor, and completed our 4th floor’s Educational Surround Sound Theatre!

2012-13, we plan to install energy renewable and sustainable windmills on our roof, redo our 2nd floor carpets, and begin an eco-system / planetarieum and more in back of our building.

2013 - 14, we plan to begin renovating our 5th floor while retaining our historic look.

STATS: We track visitors by Zip Codes + time they enter & leave to determine our optimal hours of operation. 98% of our visitors enter the museum between 9:15am & 11:30am, spending 1-1 ½ hours in the museum. Each year, we host in the neighborhood of 10,000 visitors. In the 3rd Q of 2010, we had 2,015 visitors come through our doors, with 20.70% from the City of Utica, 28.10% from neighboring cities & towns, and 51.20% from other states & the world – proving we are a vital community resource as a quality of life facility, an educational resource, and a tourism attraction. Thus we deserve support. www.museum4kids.net

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About Utica

The city of Utica, in New York State, is the county seat of Oneida County. Located in NY's Mohawk River Valley, Utica was settled by Matson and Van Zandt in October, 1836 and was known as Greene Township.

The city of Utica has undergone many transformations since Europeans first began to settle during the latter half of the 18th century. Before Anglo-Saxons came on the scene, the land was the home of the Oneida Indians, part of the Iroquois Nation. Built on land granted to William Crosby in 1734, Utica was the site of Old Fort Schuyler. English, Dutch and French settlers, realizing the potential profit of the Mohawk Valley, constructed Fort Schuyler to help control fur interests and serve as the region’s link to East Coast markets, as the Mohawk River was easiest to ford here.

Frank Woolworth opened the first of many of his 5 and 10-cent Woolworth stores on February 22, 1879 in Utica. Sparsely settled for many years, Utica did not begin to develop until after the Revolution; its real growth as a commercial and industrial center dates from the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825. By the start of the 19th century, permanent houses had sprung up and work had begun on the Canal, giving Utica increased importance as a hub between eastern and western New York. The canal was responsible for the rapid growth of many towns around it.

Trains began making regular runs between Utica, Schenectady, and Albany by 1836.Prior to the Civil War, Utica established itself as the state’s textile capital, and its river banks were echoed with the sound of steam-driven looms. Although the town’s role as a textile center faded in the 1940's and 50's, when many of the larger mills relocated south, city and county leaders attracted new businesses like General Electric, Bendix, Univac, and Utica Drop Forge and Tool.

Although today’s Utica bears little resemblance to that 19th century textile town, its economy continues strong as ever. The Children's Museum (established in 1963), The Stanley Performing Arts Center, and Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute make Utica Oneida County’s center for arts and culture. Other tourist attractions include the Oneida County Historical Society, the Utica Zoo, the Adirondack Scenic Railroad, and the F.X. Matt Brewing Company's 1888 Tavern. All are located in downtown Utica, just minutes from Onieda County Airport and the NYS Thruway's Interstate 90.

The Children's Museum of History, Living History, Science & Technology
311 Main Street, Utica, NY 13501
Tel: 315-724-6129 * Web: www.museum4kids.net

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