Children’s Museum of Southern MN opens to warm reception
Written by Jonathan Eisenthal
The Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota, located in Mankato, opened its doors May 1, and has seen 45,000 visitors in its first five months of operation. In that time, 2,000 families have purchased memberships.
Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) was an early donor, giving a major capital gift that included a subsidy so the museum could offer MCGA members a discounted family membership ($45 for MCGA members, a $50 savings).
“Twenty five percent of the museum offerings relate to agriculture,” says Executive Director Peter Olson.
“Inside, there are two major ag-related exhibits,” Olson continued. “We have the Grow It Gallery, designed for kids age 2-7. We’ve seen 9 year olds enjoy it, but the second graders really go to town
here. It’s a hands-on experience where the kids play all the roles, being a grower, bringing their products to market, processing the raw produce into finished retail products. There is even a café where they can serve the ‘food’ to their parents. Second, we have AgLab, a stainless steel environment with microscopes, where staff and volunteers present information about the science of food.”
From the Grow It Gallery, doors lead outside to the recently opened 12,000 square feet of outdoor spaces: the Farmyard, where kids can see live farm animals and plant, pick and tend real growing vegetables, herbs and greens. A path, lined with sweet corn, leads to the Dotson Back Forty, an area where kids can run and play and listen to stories. The space has edible plants and a working hand-pump for water.
Olson emphasizes the importance of the support the museum has received from MCGA and other agricultural groups.
“Our ticket sales ($8 for everyone 1 year old and up), memberships and earned income opportunities like shop sales and hosting birthdays and other celebrations — these funds cover 60 percent of the museum’s operating costs,” says Olson.
The other 40 percent comes from donations.
“The initial capital gift from the MCGA was so important, because it was a kind of stamp of approval that told other groups that the museum’s approach to agriculture was going to be dedicated to helping people understand the realities and the challenges of raising their food in the real world, the way it’s done today,” Olson says.
It took 10 years to grow the Children’s museum from its founders’ idea. Olson joined the organization six years ago to guide it from idea to reality.
“We have seen from the incredible response — 45,000 visitors in our first six months, that there is a real demand for these kinds of presentations and experiences,” Olson said. “The fact is that responding to the demand, and continuing to sustain our programs takes dollars — it takes donations, large and small, as well as folks volunteering their time, bringing in animals, taking care of the crops in our farm yard, giving talks.”
In addition to the trained core of museum staff — educators and play organizers — the museum also draws on a strong talent pool of volunteers: retired teachers, farmers, 4-h kids.
“Some of our best presenters are the 4-H kids,” Olson said. ‘They come with their animals and it’s like showing at the Fair. And they are at an age that the younger kids really look up to them. So these teenagers tell the little kids every aspect of taking care of the animal, and what it means to raise animals for food.”
October is harvest month at the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota. Find out more at http://www.cmsouthernmn.org.
Remember, if you’re an MCGA member, you receive a $50 discount on a museum membership. Click here to download the discount form.
