10,000 guests and counting!

With a huge thank you to everyone for these past three very busy, very fun weeks!  Sponsors, Volunteers, Staff, Board Members, and each and every visitor - we have enjoyed getting to know the people who come through the doors and what they like the most.

So... if you have been one of those visitors - please feel free to share your story in comments.  Let us know what you liked the most!

And if you haven't been one of those visitors... what are you waiting for?  

Our hours (because I know someone is bound to ask) are as follows:

Mondays (Members Only) from 2:00-8:00pm

Tuesdays-Saturdays from 10:00am-6:00pm

and yes, we are still open on a "pay as you will" basis - nothing is required but we always appreciate donations and they are being put to good use as we repair the wear and tear & continue to plan fun new exhibits!

Come back soon!

The More Things Change...

As you probably know, many of our exhibits originated at another museum - one of my favorite moments thus far here at the museum was when the director of the Lied Discovery Museum (Las Vegas) came to visit and saw a few of the changes we made to those exhibits. In that moment of amazement it was apparent to all of us here that the hard work, bruised knees, and paint on our shoes was worth it. 

Since I can't take you back in time to see what once was (although wouldn't THAT be a cool exhibit) we will have to settle for the pictures!

the airplane, old and new...

and the bank - so much changed I'm not sure it's a simple renovation anymore?

 well, okay - to be fair it's not the same bubble machine in both pictures, but our new wall just blows me away!

Desert Discovery fits in a smaller area in our museum but oh... I love what a difference our muralists make!

 We've had tourists come through and mention that their kids used to be frightened of that poor old fireman - he's now happy with a new dog, a new firehouse, and a very loud bell :)

 Our music room incorporates all of the old exhibits in a very new way - I feel like I'm walking through a garden right outside the castle...  with fairies all around... (fairies who like drum music)

same concept - new design with a LOT more color!

Those new mirrors are just SO much fun when the stage lights are on :)

 if it works, don't fix it... but that doesn't stop us from making it prettier!


and last but certainly not least my favorite transformation of all... the blue man tubes from Las Vegas become...

a TREE HOUSE??? I have to hand it to the designer and her team of construction magicians - this looks amazing!

and until you visit (opening this Thursday 10:00am-6:00pm) you will just have to imagine some of the other fun things!

The St George Children’s Museum is nearing completion and will soon open.  It has taken years of planning and development and those involved can hardly wait to introduce this wonderful new venue to the children of St George.

Volunteers are needed to make the museum a success — they may be retired professionals, educators or simply folks who love children and would like to lend a helping hand.  Volunteering at the St. George Children’s Museum promises to be a fun and unique way to help inspire the children of our community.  Volunteers will be an integral part of the museums programs and activities.  The Children’s Museum would greatly appreciate help.

 Administrative Volunteers

Help to ensure the smooth operation of daily activities through a variety of administrative duties including volunteer coordination, scheduling and tracking.

 Visitor Services

Welcome families at the door with a warm smile and give out information about the museum, its rules, activities, admission, donations, and more.

Exhibit Attendants

Engage the children in learning through play.  These happy wanderers will give exhibit guidance as needed with large helpings of fun and excitement.  They will also help to ensure the exhibits are maintained in working order throughout the day.

Store Volunteers

Assist in the operation of the SGCM store during business hours.  This includes overseeing merchandise, setting up displays, demonstrating new toys, selling products and cashier responsibilities.

Museum Docents (Guides)

Provide guidance for specific areas of the museum that require more careful supervision and interaction.

So, if you love children and are young at heart, help us make a difference in their lives. You may help to inspire them toward a life-long love of learning.  Time is rapidly approaching so if you are interested please don’t hesitate.  Applications for the above preliminary positions are now available and should be filled within the next two weeks.  Apply online by going to the following link: http://www.sgchildrensmuseum.org/donate/volunteer/ or visit the office at 86 South Main in St. George or call (435) 986-4000.

If you are looking for a great opportunity to have fun by serving your community, St George Children’s Museum would appreciate your consideration and truly hope you will join them in this wonderfully rewarding experience and the chance to have a profound impact on the lives of our communities’ children.

-Jeremy

If you are a family looking for things to do in St. George, Utah you will very soon be able to add something totally unique and exciting your list.  Renovations to the old Dixie State College building on Main Street are nearly complete and our hands-on exhibits are being finalized as well.  Although we have not yet pinpointed an exact opening date there is definitely light at the end of this tunnel.  Loaded with fun and educational activities, there are still a couple of months of finishing touches, but rest assured we will be open before the year is out.  So what exactly is this wonderful new idea that I’m talking about?  The St. George Children’s Museum, of course.
Children who regularly experience the fun and adventure of learning through play benefit not only from the almost effortless process itself, but begin to develop a lifelong passion for learning.  The St. George Children’s Museum will give our kids access to a whole new world of exciting ideas that that they will experience firsthand rather than simply reading from a book or seeing on screen.  We hope to excite their curiosity, encourage them to dream big and ultimately to be a resource for parents to help their kids continue their advancement toward those dreams.
As I mentioned, after many years of planning and development, we are now on the cusp.  Our excitement is barely containable and as the date nears you will be hearing from us more and more.  In addition to our plans for the museum itself there will also be many outreach programs through local school districts, scout and youth groups.  If you are interested in helping in any way, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 435-986-4000.  This is a wonderful project to be a part of and something our current volunteers will be proud to show children and grandchildren.  If you are interested in contributing we would love your help – the more help we get, the sooner our kids will be enjoying the museum.

Currently we are looking for volunteers to help us wrap things up for our grand opening in a couple of months.  In addition we are always looking for donations.  Remember the museum has so far been funded entirely through donations and will continue to run off of them in the future.  Every little bit helps! So if you’d like, you can donate through our website here.  Additionally, feel free to contact us if you would like to donate materials, supplies or services, organize a fundraiser or any other great ideas you may have.  As always, we appreciate your support and look forward seeing you and your enthusiastic children at the museum.

-Jeremy

As you may have heard things are really coming along over at our new building! The long term plan for this blog is to keep it full of stories - YOUR stories about coming to visit us.  In the meantime I wanted to show you some of what is happening at the building!

Photo 1:  Our "before" shot...   ho-hum...  it may never look like this again!!

 Paint is going up on walls everywhere...  Happy little clouds now cover that ceiling!

 Rolling Hills make a great backdrop for our farm...

 and no matter how many people tell me that the science room is painted black I am telling you it's just a very very dark blue.  (the exhibit designer will back me up on this one!)

Exhibit pieces are being assembled...

 And five truckloads of exhibits have arrived. (is it possible that truck is bigger than our building?)

 No wonder we're exhausted...  luckily the garden bed makes a nice cozy place to catch a few Zs...

In the end, we hope you'll agree it's worth every drop of paint on clothing, every broken nail, and every minute of lost sleep.

 I

These guys seemed to enjoy it!
(visitor photos taken during our Art Festival Open House)

Why I got involved...

Each of us on the board has their own story of how we all came together - and their own reasons for devoting many hours to this effort.  My own is the only story I know well enough to tell here but maybe in the future I can convince some other volunteers to share as well.  Maybe some of our readers want to share their stories?

I married into a large family - my ManOfTheHouse is the second of 11 children - so family reunions tend to be a little on the noisy side.  With nephews and nieces ranging in age from 6 days to 22 years we also have a few difficulties in choosing activities that will keep everyone busy! If you have ever been to a Utah amusement park or hiking trail and wondered who those 50+ people are and why they are wearing matching t-shirts, you may have seen us.  We tend to attract a little bit of attention :)

One year the reunion schedule included a visit to the Salt Lake Children's Museum (which has since moved). Our family, clad in bright yellow shirts, descended on the museum and we expected that within the hour there would be at least one cousin screaming, one needing to be fed, and three climbing the walls.

The climbing the walls was true - as a matter of fact, most of them were scaling the climbing wall as quickly as possible!  Others were intrigued with water play, my son fell in love with lizards, and even the oldest of the cousins had to be dragged out of the shadow room!  Having grown up near the Denver Children's Museum I remembered how much fun it had been as a child.  As an early childhood teacher I had taken groups to similar places in Colorado and Kansas - they'd loved it as well... but seeing this HUGE group from a parental perspective... lit a fire for me.  Seeing the variety of activities keeping all ages interested, seeing families work together and have fun together... that's what I loved.  I wanted to bring something like this to St George!

Over the next few years I visited more children's museums and met other local people with a similar dream - some of whom had already laid some groundwork - and the more we looked, the more people we found.  People who were interested in creating something unique for our community that we (the committee and our local families) could all be a part of.

So many things are happening thanks to this group - I am thrilled to tell you that our 501c3 non-profit status is official!  This may seem like a small thing but it has started the ball rolling... good things are coming soon!  Exciting exhibits are in the works and we can hardly wait to share them with you.  Unfortunately we do have to wait a little while longer - but just a little while!!

Art Festival Pictures

We fully enjoyed the days at the park and getting to meet you and your amazing children!

Next up? Look for information coming soon (here and on Facebook) regarding events surrounding Week Of The Young Child - we are SO excited to be bringing this celebration to Southern Utah for the first time!