Imagine Children's Museum
![]() Front entrance of the museum | |
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Established | 1991 |
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Location | 1502 Wall Street Everett, Washington |
Coordinates | 47°58′39″N 122°12′34″W / 47.97750°N 122.20944°W |
Type | Children's museum |
Website | www |
The Imagine Children's Museum is a non-profit children's museum located in Everett, Washington, near Seattle.
History
The museum was founded in 1991 as the Children's Museum of Snohomish County, as part of a countywide initiative to establish children-oriented places in Snohomish County by the county government's Children's Commission. It opened in 1993 at a storefront in nearby Marysville,[1] but was forced to move to a temporary space in downtown Everett in 1995.[2] The county government planned to locate the museum permanently at McCollum Park in Mill Creek, but plans fell through during the late 1990s, leading to a donation by the Schack family to fund a permanent museum in downtown Everett.[3]
The new $4.75 million museum, a former Everett Mutual Bank branch with 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) of space, opened on October 17, 2004, and was renamed the Imagine Children's Museum.[4][5][6] In its first year at the expanded location, the museum reported an attendance of 146,000, more than quadruple its annual attendance at its temporary locations.[7]
In 2020, the museum announced plans for a four-story expansion that would add 47,000 square feet (4,400 m2) in the southern parking lot. The expansion project, which would cost $25 million, is planned to open in 2022 and include exhibits on woodland habitats, a puppet theater stage, and an outdoor construction crane.[8]
Exhibits and programs
The Imagine Children's Museum is designed as an activity center for children between the ages of one and twelve years, with over 20 exhibits.[9] Some of the exhibits are reflective of life in Snohomish County, including a child-sized airplane cockpit, a bus donated by Everett Transit, and a theater stage.[10] The museum's rooftop was converted into an outdoor playground in 2005, including a two-story wooden tower, climbing wall and other play areas.[7]
References
- ^ Brooks, Diane (September 23, 1993). "Children's place: years of dedicated effort pay off as kids' museum finds a home". The Seattle Times. p. 1.
- ^ Ochoa, Rachel (October 6, 1995). "Children's museum to reopen in Everett". The Seattle Times. p. B3. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
- ^ de Leon, John (December 8, 2000). "Museum finally gets a home". The Seattle Times. p. B5.
- ^ Dunnewind, Stephanie (October 16, 2004). "Exploring children's museums: They educate and stimulate; they're expanding, and more are opening". The Seattle Times. p. C1. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
- ^ Lloyd, Jennifer (August 1, 2004). "Museum closes, new one to open: Everett facility for kids is moving". The Seattle Times. p. B2.
- ^ Tuinstra, Rachel (October 13, 2004). "Child's play: Imagine, a kids museum". The Seattle Times. p. H20. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
- ^ a b Dunnewind, Stephanie (October 8, 2005). ""Awesome" addition to Imagine Children's Museum". The Seattle Times. p. C1. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
- ^ Muhlstein, Julie (August 23, 2020). "Museum does more than imagine, plans four-story expansion". The Everett Herald. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
- ^ Goffredo, Theresa (October 7, 2012). "Imagine Children's Museum adds new exhibits". The Everett Herald. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
- ^ Yefimova, Katya (March 16, 2010). "Imagine Children's Museum welcomes its millionth visitor". The Everett Herald. Retrieved April 7, 2017.