Brooklyn Children's Museum Set to Open New 49 Million Building on September 20 to 21 2008 New Building Part of 80 Million Expansion Project All-New Exhibitions and Programs Nurture Children's Curiosity and Delight Adults at NYC's First "Green" Museum Spectacular Design by World-Class Architect Rafael Vinoly Doubles Museum's Size Brooklyn Children's Museum will celebrate the opening of its newly expanded building on the weekend of September 20 and 21, 2008, when it will simultaneously be both the world's newest and oldest children's museum. Completely new exhibitions, programs, and visitor amenities will provide a wonderland of discovery for children, parents, grandparents, and school groups in the playfully designed facility. The Museum's imaginative gallery for toddlers will be twice its former size, a freshwater pond will give children a "fish eye view" of turtles and other aquatic life, and young visitors will become world travelers when they visit an international street based on real local businesses to make lanterns for Chinese New Year and bake pretend bread in the Mexican bakery. The newly expanded Museum-founded in 1899 as the world's first museum created expressly for children -- is also slated to be the first museum in New York City to "go green" and receive certification from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. Among the facility's green features are flooring and display cases made from renewable or recycled content, a geothermal heating and cooling system, photovoltaic panels to generate electricity, and waterless urinals. The Museum has been closed for final construction since September 2007 and providing programs "On the Go" at schools, libraries, other cultural institutions, and community festivals during that time. World-renowned architect Rafael Vinoly designed the expansion of the Museum. This expansion, which doubles the Museum's space, along with its new exhibitions and collections of nearly 30,000 natural-history specimens and cultural artifacts, positions Brooklyn Children's Museum as one of the pre-eminent family attractions in the New York City region and among the world's premiere children's museums. "Our new daffodil-yellow museum will serve as a beacon of inspiration and wonder for all who visit -- children, parents, educators, neighbors, tourists, and the world," said Carol Enseki, the Museum's president. "We've specifically designed our new building with soaring ceilings and abundant natural light, creating the best possible atmosphere to spark the curiosity of children, encouraging them to develop a respect for themselves, others, and the world around them as they transform into budding anthropologists, scientists, artists, and adventurers. Our new exhibitions and programs, along with our already-rich collections, embrace the vibrant diversity of our
surroundings in Brooklyn and continue the tradition of excellence we have maintained for more than 100 years." Vinoly created a daring, undulating, two-story design that wraps and incorporates the Museum's former building. The 51,000-square-foot expansion adds to the Museum's existing 51,000 square feet for a new combined total of 102,000 square feet. Additional space allows far more room for permanent and temporary exhibitions exploring art, science, and culture; educational programs for children, families, and school groups; and modern visitor amenities, including a new cafe, a new gift shop, a new coat check, and additional restrooms. In planning the expansion and developing its Capital Master Plan, the Museum worked closely with community leaders, City partners, and national advisors. The project has raised a total of $80 million over 10 years for the expansion of its facility, exhibits, programs, and endowment. The City of New York provided a total of $48 million for the expansion and renovation of the building, with an additional $1 million coming from New York State. The Museum raised $19.5 million from private sources and competitive government grants for new exhibits, programs, and endowment, with a further $11.5 million raised toward future phases of the master plan. Highlights of the all-new Brooklyn Children's Museum include: -- Totally Tots, an exhibition that transforms the Museum's youngest visitors into confident adventurers through experiences specially designed for ages 5 and younger. -- Neighborhood Nature, an exhibition that takes explorers on a trek through natural habitats found in the midst of the city, from woodland fields to ocean tide pools. -- World Brooklyn, a streetscape of kid-sized stores-each based on a real business and neighborhood-transports visitors around the borough and the world. -- Collections Central, an exhibition inviting visitors to look, make, imagine, and know as they explore real things and the stories they tell. -- Living in Space, a temporary exhibition running through January 2, 2009, in which kids can try sleeping, dressing, and working like astronauts. -- A new cafe, which will dish up meals and snacks in a bright, open environment, with plenty of fresh options to tempt toddlers and teens alike, including Kosher selections. -- A new gift shop, where families can find unique toys, books, apparel, and gifts specially chosen for their appeal to children and educational value. -- The expanded Museum also offers a variety of new programming spaces, including classrooms, workshops, and a children's library. In warm weather, the Museum's open-air plaza, with stadium-style bleacher seats, will be available for strolling and occasional cultural performances-and plenty of room for dancing.
Thanks to popular demand, the Museum has preserved the beloved People Tube -- a sloping tunnel housing a trickling stream and multicolored neon lights -- to welcome a new generation of learners. Founded in 1899 as the world's first museum for kids, Brooklyn Children's Museum offers interactive learning adventures in the arts, culture, science, and the environment through handson exhibitions, performances, workshops, and an extensive collection of cultural artifacts and natural-science specimens. A pioneer in informal learning and community collaboration, Brooklyn Children's Museum helped launch the global children's museum movement, a field now numbering more than 300 institutions existing worldwide. For more information, visit www.brooklynkids.org.