The Canadian Children's Museum - Gatineau, Quebec
Posted by: bluelamb03
N 45° 25.821 W 075° 42.589
18T E 444475 N 5031003
The Canadian Children's Museum is a special section of The Canadian Museum of Civilization (in French: Musée canadien des civilisations)which is Canada's national museum of human history.
Waymark Code: WMBWBA
Location: Québec, Canada
Date Posted: 06/26/2011
Views: 62
From the Canadian Children's Museum website:
The Canadian Children’s Museum (CCM) has been developed around a central theme — The Great Adventure — and gives younger visitors an opportunity to travel the world. Over 30 permanent exhibit spaces have been designed as a series of contextual environments situated along a random circulation route. Exhibit themes promote intercultural understanding and emphasize process rather than the acquisition of a detailed body of knowledge. A rich assortment of materials including props, costumes and hands-on artifacts supports open-ended, inquiry-based learning experiences. Based on a client-centred approach, the space facilitates small group interaction and immersion/role-playing.
The Canadian Children’s Museum (CCM) opened on June 29, 1989, and is part of the Canadian Museum of Civilization. During planning for the new Canadian Museum of Civilization building in 1982, a decision was made to incorporate a children’s museum. Children had always comprised an important percentage of overall attendance, although exhibits in the main museum were not generally designed with their needs in mind.
The Canadian Children’s Museum has grown steadily since its inception. In response to rising attendance and community interest, the CCM’s second phase opened in 1994 with 2,044 m2 (22,000 ft2) of exhibition space, along with an expansion in its programs and services. In 1995, the CCM’s outdoor park grew from 520 m2 (5,600 ft2) to 6,039 m2 (65,000 ft2), with an expansion of the physical landscape and the installation of outdoor exhibits. The exterior exhibit spaces were continually modified and supplemented with new exhibitions. In 2007, the CCM was again expanded with the addition of a larger temporary exhibition space and two new permanent exhibit areas. The Canadian Children’s Museum currently occupies a total of 8036.19m2 (86,501.55 ft2) of interior and exterior space.
The CCM has continued to expand its client base as well as its partnerships and alliances, and has gained international recognition. The CCM plays an important role within the international community of youth museums, and is the national leader among children’s museums in Canada. The CCM is a member of the Association of Children’s Museums, Hands On! Europe and the Youth Museum Exhibit Collaborative.
The Canadian Children’s Museum serves all Canadian children and remains one of the most popular destinations in the Canadian Museum of Civilization, welcoming over eight million children and their families since 1989, with average annual attendance of 500,000.