London Children's Museum dreaming big for the future

The London Children's Museum has been a pillar of the London community for nearly four decades. For the past 30 years, it has been located in the old Riverview School building at 21 Wharncliffe Rd. S., and now it's time to make a change.

The Museum is putting the building up for sale and is seeking a new space to call home.

The Riverview building has presented a number of challenges to the Museum. It was constructed in 1915, and the wear and tear on the building has resulted in increased maintenance costs. In addition, the flashy new large-scale exhibits don't fit through the doors or in the elevators, and so the Museum has been struggling to grow in its current location.

Amanda Conlon, the Museum's executive director, said the sale and moving process will take between two and four years. Until then, the Museum's doors will be open and business will proceed as usual.

“We are on the verge of such excitement,” exclaimed Carol Johnston, who founded the Children's Museum in 1975. “We couldn't be more excited or more pleased about what's ahead for us with [Conlon] at the helm.”

As a new space is being sought, the Children's Museum is asking for stakeholders' input for what it should include. To gather input, Museum staff will host Dream Camps — community groups to discuss the future of the Museum — throughout the month of November. Conlon said the Museum team is hoping to “connect with as many people as we can in this process.”

Ideas were already flowing at the announcement event on October 1. The “Share your dream for the future” board featured many ideas submitted by attendees calling for accessible, collaborative, open spaces, and a Museum that offers “resources for community and education for all.”

Go to londonchildrensmuseum.ca to learn more and to register for a Dream Camp session.

DREAM CAMP DATES
All Dream Camps will be held at the London Children's Museum

Dream Camp for Donors: 1 to 2 p.m., November 5

Dream Camp for Teachers: 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., November 5

Dream Camp for Community Members: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., November 7

Dream Camp for Community Partners: 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., November 7

Dream Camp for Parents & Children: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., November 8

Dream Camp for Parents & Children: 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., November 9