Public Events --

Play Museum Grand Opening!

Play Museum Grand Opening!

• Location: Illinois State Museum, Springfield, Springfield
• Date: Saturday, March 26, 2011, 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM

The new Play Museum, a hands-on children’s gallery at the Illinois State Museum in Springfield, will open on Saturday, March 26 with a grand opening celebration from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm. The new, kid-friendly Play Museum is designed for children ages 3 – 10. Children will learn through play what it is like to work at a museum. In the Play Museum children can excavate mastodont bones, load a jeep for an expedition, crawl through a cave, touch animal skulls, frame and display art, and much more. As part of the grand opening celebration, there will be hands-on activities and roving live entertainment throughout the Museum.

The entire Museum will be full of exciting activities for the whole family on March 26.  Magicians, jugglers, face painters, and storytellers will entertain children throughout the day. Brian "Fox" Ellis will help children create their own museum stories; Cathy Mosley will be telling animal tales; Troy and Eldon Roark will be roaming the museum performing great feats of juggling and magic. Visitors will have the opportunity to make a museum diorama, create a nature poster, participate in a time-travel matching game, and contribute to a memory book commemorating the grand opening.  For additional information click to press release.

For more information, contact Elizabeth Bazan at (217) 782-5993 or ebazan@museum.state.il.us or follow us on Facebook and sign up for our electronic newsletter by visiting the “Join My List” tab on our Facebook page.

Museum Society Members will receive a special invitation to explore this new exhibition before it opens publicly. If you are not a member, you can join on-line.

This event is free and open to the public.