Exhibits

 The Children's Discovery Museum offers our audience a blend of permanent and changing educational exhibits. All exhibits are open during Museum hours:

The Children’s Discovery Museum is open

January - March: Friday and Saturday only
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

April - Memorial Day: Monday - Saturday
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed Sunday

Memorial Day through Sept. 30: Monday through Sunday
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

October - December: Friday and Saturday only
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Closed: New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

General admission for all ages is $7 per person - age one & under FREE! Includes The Judy Garland Museum®. $3.00 per student school discount rate (for 20 or more)

Exhibits in the Children's Discovery Museum

Internationally acclaimed doll maker Faith Wick has donated 200 of her hand-crafted creations to the Children's Discovery Museum. The Northern Minnesota native and former kindergarten teacher began creating dolls when she and her husband, Melvin, owned and operated Fairyland in Marble, Minnesota, for 15 years. The park featured full size storybook figures in fantasy settings amidst flower beds along an outdoors woodland path. Wick later established a studio in Columbus, Ohio, and has authored two books on the art of doll-making. Her work is on permanent display at a number of museums, including the Denver Art Museum, the Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art in Bellevue, Washington, the Mary Miller Doll Museum in Brunswick, Georgia, and the Technik Museum in Spyer Germany. Her work has also been exhibited at Disney World. Faith Wick's Fairyland exhibit at the Children's Discovery Museum is the only major doll exhibit in Minnesota open to the general public. Expressing her delight at having her work on display at the Grand Rapids museum, Wick remarked, "It's a place where adults and children alike can recall beloved childhood memories of their favorite classic fairy tales." In addition to her gift of 200 classic fairy tale dolls, Wick commissioned noted Texas artist John Cook to design some of the custom-made settings in which the dolls are displayed. Other settings were created by Dr. Thomas Christenson and about one-third were built for a special exhibit in London, England. The Faith Wick Fairyland exhibit, notes Museum Director John Kelsch, "will recognize and honor one of the great visual artists native to the Iron Range." Denise Martin, consultant and curator -- mentored by Faith Wick -- continues to work with the artist on Fairyland. The Grand Rapids Area Doll Lovers Club is also a part of continuing activities on behalf of the Museum. The exhibit opened for the general public on March 31, 2006.

RIVER TOWN
Enter a child-sized town square complete with several shops. Watch children bring the village to life as they shop, become merchants, meet the neighbors and allow their imaginations to create their own world as they see it. River Town includes The Little Grocery Store, Grandma's Attic, the Music Shop, and Molly's Dolly Day Care.
CDM school programs focus on how a community is formed and the multicultural contributions that help to define our cuture.

RIVER FOREST
Follow the trail past River Town and you will find yourself among the plants, trees and wildlife typical of Northern Minnesota. The River Forest exhibit is a multi sensory experience that will bring children in touch with the sights, sounds, smells and feel of the great outdoors. Meet Tree-sa, the talking tree and learn about the forest. Watch her move her mouth and eyes as she speaks of various forest facts. Rubbing stations give the opportunity to make a crayon copy of animal prints or leaves. Follow the scents and sounds of the woods as you trek through an enchanted forest. The winding trail leads you to a tent and campfire where young visitors imagine they are camping at a site deep in the forest.
CDM school programs cover the topics of wildlife, ecology and the outdoor experience.

RIVER WATER TABLE 
Get up close and see a replica of the dam and river visible from the bridge on Pokegema Avenue. Young engineers watch the lights in the hydroelectric plant get brighter as they increase the flow of water through the dam. Down river from the dam children observe the effect on river current as they operate wing dams. Of course, boats, logs and other floating devices are provided to entertain children as they learn a few fundamentals of hydro-physics.

TOT PARK MAZE
On the far end of River Forest is an exhibit made just for the preschool crowd. Made to look like a hedge maze, this exhibit will really excite the very young as they meander through passageways (always within view of a watchful parent) and stop to try out many of the different interactive stations found within. An open area at the front of the maze is ideal, with its padded floor and soft toys, for parents to play with their toddlers.

GEO-ZOOOOM
Developed by the Minnesota Children's Museum this interactive exhibit introduces children to the geography of North America. A giant table map of America takes children around the country where they stop at various "cities" and explore landmarks of each region.
Huge aerial photographs display the Arrowhead region of Minnesota. Find your house! Find your school! Find your favorite lake!
Supporting programs for visiting schools cover geographical concepts of our continent.
DINOSAURS
Due to overwhelming praise from teachers whose classes enjoyed their "Dinostories", we are keeping the skull mounts and "Dino Dig" as part of our permanent collection. We will continue to provide the ever popular dinosaur program for visiting schools.

ART ROOM
Central to the creative expression of children is art. A 2,000 sq. ft. Art Room with seating for 60 offers various creative activities for visiting school groups and walk-ins. Painting, sculpting, paper arts as well as other mediums will bring out the budding artist in each child.

MUSEUM STORE
If you're looking for unique gifts or just a keepsake from your visit to the museum, you'll find it in our gift shop. CDM's store offers interesting and educational items that reflect the various featured exhibits and capture the imaginations of children. Don't forget to check out our toys, educational puzzles, books and games when you need to find that something special for birthdays or Christmas.
Those holding museum memberships receive a ten percent discount on all store purchases.

Click here to email the Children's Discovery Museum
(office@cdmkids.org)

Children's Discovery Museum
2727 US Hwy 169 South
PO Box 724
Grand Rapids, MN 55744
Local phone: 218-326-1900
Toll free: 866-236-5437
Website: www.cdm.kids.org

Funded in part by The Blandin Foundation