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Carson City's Childrens Museum and Art Center

Interactive Exhibits, Classes, Children's Theater Are Kid Pleasers

Dec 11, 2008 Connie Emerson

A former city auditorium-office building-basketball half-court has been transformed into a play place where children, both local and visitors, can learn while having fun.

The Childrens Museum of Northern Nevada in Carson City isn’t big like better known museum’s for children. It isn’t all slick and state-of-the-art. But kids love it.

Much of the appeal comes from its size. The museum is small enough to be manageable. Youngsters aren’t overwhelmed by crowds of people and dozens of choices that have to be made. All the interactive exhibits are located around the perimeter and down the middle of an auditorium-size room, so attendant parents and care-givers can watch their charges with unimpeded views.

Although the museum is publicly funded, a variety of donors have also been involved. The “Pediatric Unit,” with a hospital bed, baby dolls, toy stethoscopes and midget medical scrubs is sponsored by the local hospital. The Bank is sponsored by a local savings institution and the Police Station was a gift from the city’s law enforcement department. Other exhibits, such as the Space Shuttle, were built by volunteers.

Favorite Spots

One of the newest exhibits is the Chinese Restaurant, in which pint-size chefs can cook yarn noodles on a miniature stove and serve them to customers seated at the tiny red tables. The cafe is especially popular during Chinese New Year. Adjacent to the café is the grocery store, with its shopping cart and check-out stand. Several other play stations, such as the Dress Up House and Toddler Park, center around make-believe.

Perhaps the most sophisticated exhibit focuses on the Carson River Watershed. Through a series of levers, pulleys and other devices, youngsters can have fun learning about the river’s recreational opportunities, habitat and vegetation, fish and wildlife, irrigation and agriculture.

The Older Crowd

Older children gravitate toward a Climbing Wall and The Maze game that’s on the stage. The latter is a competitive game in three levels, with achievers’ names listed on a winners’ board. Behind the Maze is a giant piano that children can play by tapping out a tune with their feet. The stage also doubles as a performance venue for the Wild Horse Children’s Theater’s presentation of shows like Seussical Jr., High School Musical and Jungle Book.

Other Rooms

In the basement, there’s a room that can be rented for parties and a classroom where such diverse skills as craft- making, cake-decorating, karate and African dance are taught. Many of them are on-session events. Some of them are free; others involve a nominal charge.

Stars of the Museum Store are its stocking monkeys, who wear ‘I Love Nevada” t-shirts. Other items for sale include the usual educational books, puzzles and games. By the door, there’s also an assortment of small articles with prices starting at ten cents so that children who don’t have a lot of spending money can find things to buy.

The museum is open Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. One year memberships for seniors/children cost $25 (one-time admission for children 2-13 is $3; adults, $5)

The copyright of the article Carson City's Childrens Museum and Art Center in SW U.S./Hawaii Travel is owned by Connie Emerson. Permission to republish Carson City's Childrens Museum and Art Center in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Children's Museum is manageable size.