Detroit Children’s Museum

Did you know that Detroit is home to the third oldest children’s museum in the country? That it houses more than 100,000 artifacts? And that it’s now part of the Detroit Science Center?

Formerly operated by Detroit Public Schools, and closed since August 2009, the Detroit Children’s Museum is one of Detroit’s cultural gems. When leaders of the Detroit Science Center learned that it would be closed, they approached DPS about taking over the 93-year-old institution.

“When it closed in August, we were determined to do whatever it took to bring it back better than ever. The Detroit Science Center and the Detroit Public Schools, working together, will make it the most innovative and important children’s museum in the nation,” said Detroit Science Center President & CEO Kevin F. Prihod.

Led by Detroit Children’s Museum Director Julie Johnson, the new Children’s Museum staff has been working since January to refresh the exhibits and

displays, bringing more artifacts out of the museum’s archives out onto the exhibit floor, including an Andrewsarchus skull, an extinct mammal, Civil War artifacts and masks, shields and artifacts from countries around the globe.

Visitors to the Children’s Museum will enjoy regular planetarium demonstrations, the People of the World exhibits, a Travel Through History Gallery, Tiny Tikes Preschool Gallery and the Hoofbeat Demonstration area, named for the Silverbolt horse sculpture that stands in front of the museum.

Group programs are available for schools, daycare centers and community centers starting June 28, 2010. All programs will align with the Michigan Grade Level Content expectations for preschool-grade 6. Programs will focus on history, science, math and literature, and will include a classroom program, planetarium show and exhibit exploration. The Children’s Museum also will make Lending Collection kits of artifacts available to schools and other organizations. For more information, or to make a group reservation or Lending Collection kit request, please call 313.577.8400, Option 5.