Imagine Children's Museum

The Imagine Children's Museum is a non-profit children's museum located in Everett, Washington, near Seattle.

Imagine Children's Museum
Front entrance of the museum
Established1991
Location1502 Wall Street
Everett, Washington
Coordinates47°58′39″N 122°12′34″W
TypeChildren's museum
Websitewww.imaginecm.org

History

The museum was founded in 1991 as the Children's Museum of Snohomish County, as part of a countywide initiative to establish children-oriented places in Snohomish County by the county government's Children's Commission. It opened in 1993 at a storefront in nearby Marysville,[1] but was forced to move to a temporary space in downtown Everett in 1995.[2] The county government planned to locate the museum permanently at McCollum Park in Mill Creek, but plans fell through during the late 1990s, leading to a donation by the Schack family to fund a permanent museum in downtown Everett.[3]

The new $4.75 million museum, a former Everett Mutual Bank branch with 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) of space, opened on October 17, 2004, and was renamed the Imagine Children's Museum.[4][5][6] In its first year at the expanded location, the museum reported an attendance of 146,000, more than quadruple its annual attendance at its temporary locations.[7]

In 2020, the museum announced plans for a four-story expansion that would add 47,000 square feet (4,400 m2) in the southern parking lot. The expansion project, which would cost $25 million, is planned to open in 2022 and include exhibits on woodland habitats, a puppet theater stage, and an outdoor construction crane.[8]

Exhibits and programs

The Imagine Children's Museum is designed as an activity center for children between the ages of one and twelve years, with over 20 exhibits.[9] Some of the exhibits are reflective of life in Snohomish County, including a child-sized airplane cockpit, a bus donated by Everett Transit, and a theater stage.[10] The museum's rooftop was converted into an outdoor playground in 2005, including a two-story wooden tower, climbing wall and other play areas.[7]

References
  1. Brooks, Diane (September 23, 1993). "Children's place: years of dedicated effort pay off as kids' museum finds a home". The Seattle Times. p. 1.
  2. Ochoa, Rachel (October 6, 1995). "Children's museum to reopen in Everett". The Seattle Times. p. B3. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
  3. de Leon, John (December 8, 2000). "Museum finally gets a home". The Seattle Times. p. B5.
  4. Dunnewind, Stephanie (October 16, 2004). "Exploring children's museums: They educate and stimulate; they're expanding, and more are opening". The Seattle Times. p. C1. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
  5. Lloyd, Jennifer (August 1, 2004). "Museum closes, new one to open: Everett facility for kids is moving". The Seattle Times. p. B2.
  6. Tuinstra, Rachel (October 13, 2004). "Child's play: Imagine, a kids museum". The Seattle Times. p. H20. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
  7. Dunnewind, Stephanie (October 8, 2005). ""Awesome" addition to Imagine Children's Museum". The Seattle Times. p. C1. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
  8. Muhlstein, Julie (August 23, 2020). "Museum does more than imagine, plans four-story expansion". The Everett Herald. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  9. Goffredo, Theresa (October 7, 2012). "Imagine Children's Museum adds new exhibits". The Everett Herald. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
  10. Yefimova, Katya (March 16, 2010). "Imagine Children's Museum welcomes its millionth visitor". The Everett Herald. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
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