The Climber and Underland are NOW OPEN!

Children swarm up 18 feet to the top of The Climber and flow back down again, like water spreading in all directions. Like water, only noisy! “Awesome!” “Extreme FUN!” “I can see the whole entire city from up here.” “We can spy on people.” “I want to stay up here forever!” They climb past and around and over each other like puppies, point out ways to get up or down, boost each other up to the next platform, call out “Coming through!”

In Underland kids scuttle through the tunnels, chasing and hiding from each other, then pop out from unexpected places. Screams of surprise and delight! Meanwhile, a child in a bunny costume stirs acorn “soup,” which he serves to his friend the cicada. A marimba-playing salamander provides the dinner music.

The exciting new play spaces in The Children’s Garden are open at last! It’s been years of planning, designing, fundraising, building and anticipating. But no matter how much planning and anticipating we do, there is nothing like the thrill of actually seeing children using – and loving – the environments we create. It’s the best, most satisfying feeling ever.

We are so grateful to the hundreds of donors to the Museum’s Play Works Campaign for Kids who made it possible to create these amazing new play spaces. Thanks to your generosity, the campaign surpassed its $1.5 million goal by more than $250,000. That’s pretty satisfying, too!


On behalf of all of those climbing, pretending, running, noisy, happy children - THANK YOU!

Janice O’Donnell
Executive Director