London Children's Museum

The London Children's Museum is a private, not-for-profit museum located in London, Ontario, Canada.[1] It was the first children's museum established in Canada,[1] founded in 1975 by Carol Johnston two years after visiting Boston Children's Museum during a family trip. As of 2021, the museum receives 88,000 visitors each year and has an operating budget of approximately $1.2 million.[2] Its current executive director is Amanda Conlon.[1]

London Children’s Museum
Established1975 (1975)
Location21 Wharncliffe Road South
London, Ontario
N6J 4G5
Coordinates42.9791°N 81.2629°W / 42.9791; -81.2629
TypeChildren's museum
Visitors100,000
FounderCarol Johnston
Executive directorAmanda Conlon
Websitewww.londonchildrensmuseum.ca

The original museum was based in the old City Centre.[1] After several moves in its early days, it acquired the building of the former Riverview Public School in 1982 with a grant from the Richard Ivey Foundation.[1] In 2014 it sold the Wharncliffe Road building to a London developer, but will remain a tenant until at least 2021.[1]

The museum will move to a former and refurbished Kellogg's cereal plant in the city's east end factory district at 100 Kellogg Lane.[2] [1][3] The museum will occupy the building's fourth floor, which has 25-foot (7.6 m) ceilings.[1][3] After the move, the museum plans on creating new exhibits.[1] In 2018, the museum hired an Oakland, California company to design the exhibits in the new building.[4] These include eight "immersive and interactive areas for children and their families", among them a garden patio, a main street-themed exhibit, a river-themed exhibit, and a room dedicated to archaeological discovery.[4] It will also include a large rooftop playground.[3]

Exhibits include Bellina, a whale skeleton suspended in the atrium, an arctic exhibit, and a dinosaur exhibit.[1]

Affiliations

The Museum is affiliated with: CMA, CHIN, and Virtual Museum of Canada.

References

  1. "London Regional Children's Museum to find new home in old Kellogg's plant". CBC News. 14 May 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  2. Simon, Amy (12 October 2021). "London Children's Museum begins moving process after 40 years on Wharncliffe Rd S". 1069theX. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  3. Ibeto, Ozioma (15 May 2018). "London Children's Museum reveals new location". Global News. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  4. "London Children's Museum unveils new look designed by California firm". CBC News. 14 December 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
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