The Louisiana Children’s Museum moves to their new location in New Orleans City Park. It will be open to the public on August 31. The museum is an eight and one-half acre site and has both indoor and outdoor experiences for all ages. This 56,000 square foot building is perfectly located within City Park and overlooks a lagoon.
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The new design is breathtaking, and the attention to detail is exquisite. It has clean lines, lots of natural lighting, and touches of modern design. The south wing will have a literacy center, a resource center, a store, and a full-service café. Spacious, birthday party rooms will be available too.
The north wing will have exhibits on both upstairs and downstairs. Those exhibits will include re-imaginations of the grocery store and the bubble studio which we were so excited to see. Upstairs, there is a 100-foot-long Mighty Mississippi exhibit which is sure to entertain young and old for hours. I was also excited to see a music room along with a large arts and crafts room.
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And, my favorite addition to LCM has to be the restaurant, Acorn, which is a Dickie Brennan & Co.’s restaurant. It will serve fresh, family-friendly cuisine. The full-service cafe will have seating for 165 with half the seating inside and half the seating outside.
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Here are some more details about of the new exhibits:
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Gallery 1: Play With Me
This ground-floor gallery is designed for infants and toddlers, three years and younger. Exhibits are the Sensory Lagoon, In Dialogue, Cypress Tree Book Nook, Peek-a-Boo Puppet Theater, Early Literacy Sensory Wall, and Discovery Zone.
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Gallery 2: Follow That Food
Located on the ground floor, this is one of the largest galleries. It will take children on a playful Louisiana food journey. This is my favorite gallery. It awakens so much imagination. Exhibits include Food & You Market, Bean Counter, Ports & Cargo, Creole Kitchen, Growing & Gathering, and Scents & Scales.
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Gallery 3: Dig into Nature
This gallery is where they will discover the natural resources unique to Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. They did an amazing job with adding lots of hands-on activities in this gallery. Exhibits are Nature Caring Station, Exploration & Innovation, Sedimentation Table, Storytelling Nest, Nature Sharing Station, Cajun Pirogue, and Promise Tree Portal.
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Gallery 4: Make Your Mark
Located on the second floor, these exhibits celebrate New Orleans’ rich art, musical, historic and cultural heritage. Children understanding our heritage is so very important so that they can be encouraged to start dreaming about how to make their mark. Exhibits are Studio in the Park, Jammin’ House, Jackson Square, NOLA Urban Design Studio, Build Big Dreams, Book Nook & Light Tables, and Shotgun House.
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Gallery 5: Move with the River
Located on the second floor, this gallery is an action-packed watery world where they can explore the story of the Mighty Mississippi River. Exhibits are Mighty Mississippi, In Dialogue, Rocks & Springs Tot Spot, Water Wall, and Cargo & Destinations.
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Again, the doors open to the public on August 31 at 12pm, but if you are a member, they have preview parties on August 25-26. They offer three different family packages/membership plans. Click HERE to join.
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This post is sponsored by LCM, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
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