Utica, New York - Since 2017, the project has been approached as an exciting “60-year old start-up” – preserving and reimagining a beloved community asset so it can continue to serve the region’s children and families for generations to come.

The wait is over and the NEW Utica Children’s Museum will open its doors on Thursday May 1st.

On March 4, 2020, the Utica Children’s Museum announced they would close their former location in Bagg’s Square to create a new, state-of-the-art Museum and relocate to the Parkway in Utica. The pandemic forced closure sooner than expected and since then, teams have worked to bring this exciting new space to life.

The museum’s Executive Director, Meghan Fraser McGrogran states “We are so excited for the official grand opening of the all new museum, and even more excited to see kids and their families walk through our doors! This facility will be a place to make memories for generations. I am so proud of out team and the incredible work they have done to make this project a reality.”

Museum Information

Opening Day

Thursday, May 1, 2025

Hours

Wednesday - Saturday: 10:00am-4:30pm

Sunday: 10:00am-3:00pm

Pricing

General Admission (adults and children): $15

Children under 1: Free

Museums For All (ID and EBT card required): $3

Timed Ticketing

The museum will open with timed ticketing available each day at 10:00am, 12:00pm and 2:00pm. This will ensure the best possible experience for all guests and will manage capacity for safety and comfort of all guests. Visitors can book their reservations and purchase memberships at www.uticachildrensmuseum.org

A National Model

The museum is located in a first-of-its-kind Family Resource Center that houses ICAN family-based programs, community space AND the new museum. The relationship between a human services non-profit and a children’s museum is very unique and is a national model for the future of sustainability and elevation of children’s museums and an example of innovative partnership solutions.

Since fall 2020, the museum team has also been working closely with the IDEA Center at SUNY Buffalo School of Architecture who helped the museum plan the first museum in the nation to focus on both building and exhibit design that is fully inclusive – from concept to completion. UCM is the first museum to be designed through a trauma-informed lens using Universal Design concepts to serve children who are on the autism spectrum, have experienced trauma or live in poverty. We are now fully certified in Universal Design.

What’s Inside!

The new museum features:

• Two floors of exhibits – a 4,000 square foot rotunda that houses the 2-story climber and the entire second floor which is home to five galleries (Seasons, World Market, Build It Up, Let’s Experiment and The Cove)
  All gallery details can be viewed here: https://www.uticachildrensmuseum.org/explore/
• Multi-Purpose Rooms (flexible to offer a full room or half a room) to host birthday parties, various programming and other unique community events.
  
  
• The Meeting Place in the rotunda - a flexible space for various programming and event opportunities
  
  
• 60+ exhibits within the galleries that feature content and experiences in spaces that are immersive, educational and innovative.
  
  
• Exhibits and programming highlight special aspects of Central New York and focus on “love where you live.” This deliberate planning to make the new space reflective of our community included strategic community input.

Why Children’s Museums are Important to Communities

A city that invests in their children shows that future generations are important to allow an area to thrive and that young people are valued. Public institutions such as libraries, public schools, parks and children’s museums all work to knit a community together.

Children’s Museums also:

• Create lasting memories
• Promote family bonding and inter-generational play
• Spur social interaction and strengthen emotional connections
• Are a great asset for childhood development
• Increase social-emotional skills, coupled with educational skills
• Provide a learning experience outside of school
• Promote the JOY of learning!
• Reduce stress
• Allow us to build a future workforce
• Are excellent for tourism

The benefits to families and the community at large are great and as the museum proudly says: “A Lifetime of Learning Starts Here… Through PLAY!”

Project Timeline

2017: The Museum and Kids Oneida (renamed ICAN in 2019) entered into a managed services contract with ICAN handling operations, development, marketing, and facility upkeep.

2019: The first reimagining and creative meetings take place with exhibit designers, staff and leadership to begin framing the new museum including gallery and exhibit themes that are reflective of our region.

March 2020: On March 4th, ICAN and the Children’s Museum announced the museum will be moving and rebuilt at 106 Memorial Parkway in Utica. A week later, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the former museum closed sooner than expected. Virtual programming was created and provided to our community’s children, as we adopted a new way of connecting our museum to families during a global crisis.

2021: The Mobile Museum rolled out to the community to “take the fun on the road” while the new museum was being built.

In October, ICAN and the Museum held a groundbreaking event for the new location shortly after ICAN staff began working in the new building.

2023: The Rotunda on the new building was completed - a 4,000 square foot, 2-story glass round addition to our new home on the Parkway. Second floor exhibit space build out and renovation is completed.

The new brand of the museum is unveiled – a collective collaboration between area students and arts professionals.

2024: Fabrication of galleries and exhibits occurs at our partners’ facilities in Philadelphia and Florida. Each piece in the museum is custom-created specifically for us, with many pieces being made by hand by expert exhibit designers that have worked on projects throughout the country.

2025: Install begins in January, play testing begins in April, the Ribbon Cutting takes place on April 29 and our Grand Opening to the public happens on May 1!

About Utica Children’s Museum

The new Utica Children’s Museum will be located in the Parkway District of Utica on the corner of Holland Avenue and Memorial Parkway. It will be an entirely new experience for families in the Mohawk Valley. The new museum is part of a larger project of ICAN—the development of a first-of-its-kind Family Resource Center that houses ICAN family-based programs, a Community Room available for other organizations, and the Museum. With over 60 years of history, the Utica Children’s Museum is one of the oldest children’s museums in the country.

For more information:

www.UticaChildrensMuseum.org