For Immediate Release: September 9, 2008
Contact: Megan Fischer
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
(401) 273-5437 ext. 126
Return to Press Room
Photos available upon request
Major Renovations Begin
at Providence Children’s Museum
Extensive changes began at Providence Children’s Museum last week when the Museum closed for eight weeks to complete renovations to its historic building, including the replacement of all exterior windows and the installation of a major new exhibit.
The Museum’s exterior renovations began with repointing the building’s brick façade and the replacement of 70 huge multi-paned windows, which will take six weeks to complete. The building, located in Providence’s Jewelry District, is nearly 75 years old. It housed a printing business in the 1930s, followed by jewelry manufacturing. Sixty years later, the building caught the interest of staff and volunteers searching for a new home for the Children’s Museum. In 1997, the Museum renovated the interior, created two floors of imaginative exhibits, and added an atrium walkway, workshop, parking lot and landscaping, all while keeping the building’s historic character. The current exterior improvements will counter years of weather damage and deterioration and will help reduce energy consumption and expenses. “The new windows will be historically appropriate,” said Museum Executive Director Janice O’Donnell, “but much more energy-efficient.”
Interior renovations will follow, including new wall and floor coverings and, most notably, the installation of Play Power, a major new exhibit celebrating the power of children's play. The vibrant new learning environment will engage kids and adults in creative activities that vividly illustrate the importance of open-ended play as they investigate cause and effect with sound, motion, magnets, air and light; create original musical compositions; propel objects through air tubes; and much more.
The Museum recently launched a blog to document the exciting renovation process. The blog, accessible through the Museum’s website (www.childrenmuseum.org), provides readers with intriguing behind-the-scenes photos and details and a sneak preview of Play Power.
Providence Children’s Museum and the new Play Power exhibit open October 28 at 9 AM.
Play Power and extensive renovations to the Museum’s historic building are the first of several important advancements as part of the Play Works Campaign for Kids.