MERIDIAN, Idaho — The Children's Museum of Idaho in Meridian opened its doors in 2018 and is a popular place for parents and kids.
Over the past five years, the city itself has boomed. So, the museum is expanding to keep up with the growth.
The museum is the first children's museum in the Gem State. The museum has many different exhibits where kids between the age of 2 and 8 can learn about working in a grocery store, being an astronaut and even what it takes to be a vet.
“It's so nice to be able to have a place where your child can play, explore, can learn," said Sarah Moore, a parent that visit the museum with her two kids.
According to the museum, they have had over 100,000 people visit the facility this year and they expect that number to grow. So, the Children's Museum of Idaho decided to expand the space and add more exhibits.
"It will have a planetarium, the Channel 7 studio, a one earth exhibit, we will have a new entrance with several other surprises, as far as exhibit scope,” said Jan Lynch, the Museum Director for the Children’s Museum of Idaho. “It's almost half as big as this museum is right now."
The organization said they are on schedule to deliver this new expansion in just a short time.
"Most capital campaigns can take several years. This one started in April,” Lynch said. “We're hoping that by the end of January, we will be done with the bulk of the construction."
Lynch said the organization has raised about $1.7 million thanks to a $1 million donation from CapEd Credit Union and other sponsorships. Lynch said that's about 70% of what they need to complete these 4,000 square-foot expansions.
There are many ways people can help the children's museum raise the money. The museum is selling legacy bricks that will be apart of the new entrance courtyard. People can purchase either a 4x8 brick for $150 or an 8x8 brick for $300 that can be engraved. Businesses can also buy a brick with their logo for $500.
You can visit their website for more information about the legacy bricks or other ways to help the Children's Museum of Idaho raise money for the new expansion.
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