Fly around the Discovery Center! Filmed by friend of the museum Adam McDaniel (thank you Adam!!!), this video shows some of the 4.5 acres of outdoor play space at the nonprofit children’s museum, including the tallgrass prairie looking beautiful in the height of summer. Centrally located in Topeka, the capital city of Kansas, the museum is filled with educational exhibits promoting science exploration, art creation, and dramatic play. Outside, children explore forests, streams, vegetable gardens, and a tallgrass prairie. Learn more about the museum at www.kansasdiscovery.org.
Kansas Children's Discovery Center
Museums, Historical Sites, and Zoos
Topeka, KS 460 followers
Hands-on children’s museum in Topeka, Kansas. Committed to giving every child the opportunity to play.
About us
The Kansas Children’s Discovery Center is a hands-on children’s museum with a mission to enhance the lives of children and enrich the communities it serves. Since opening in 2011 in Topeka, Kansas, the Discovery Center has become a special place where children can explore, create, discover and learn through play. The museum has hosted visitors from all 50 states and 23 countries. The Discovery Center features over 15,000 square feet of indoor education exhibits, including science, careers, building, art, and a 4.5 acre certified Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom. Daily programs, field trips, birthday parties and other special events provide additional opportunities for serious fun. Outreach programs bring quality, hands-on experiences into our community to inspire a lifelong love of learning for every child.
- Website
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http://www.kansasdiscovery.org
External link for Kansas Children's Discovery Center
- Industry
- Museums, Historical Sites, and Zoos
- Company size
- 2-10 employees
- Headquarters
- Topeka, KS
- Type
- Nonprofit
- Founded
- 2011
- Specialties
- Education, Science, Art & Cultural, Math & Financial Literacy, Technology, Engineering & Design, Outdoor Exploration, and tourism
Locations
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Primary
Get directions
4400 SW 10th Ave
Topeka, KS 66604, US
Employees at Kansas Children's Discovery Center
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Jane P Gannaway
Operations Strategy & Implementation Planning | Innovator | Problem Solver | Leader | Coach | Mentor
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Laura Burton
Director of Marketing and Development at The Kansas Children's Discovery Center
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Caitlin Luttjohann
Silly grownup helping to create opportunities for all children to learn in a fun way!
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Kaitlin Alegria
Updates
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We need your ideas and feedback about the museum as we launch an exciting new expansion project to better serve families. Please take our 4 minute survey to share your thoughts! https://lnkd.in/gv8im-9F
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They say the best things in life are free, and they’re right! Sunflower Summer is a program from Kansas Tourism that offers Kansas families a get out of the house free card you can carry in your pocket. A chance to have free rein (and free admission) visiting museums, zoos, historical attractions and nature centers. An app for free family fun! Topeka attractions on Sunflower Summer include: ⭐ The Kansas Children's Discovery Center 🏫 Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park 🏍️ The Evel Knievel Museum 🏛️Kansas State Capitol Visitor Center 🌳Kaw River State Park 🏠The Historic Ritchie House 🦒Topeka Zoo Visit them all this summer by downloading the app at https://lnkd.in/gii_wYA7 #ToTheStarsKS #SunflowerSummer #visittopeka
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Four members of our team attended the Association of Children's Museums conference in Madison, Wisconsin this week alongside hundreds of museum professionals and top exhibit fabricators from around the world. The team attended sessions on educational programs, exhibit design, and operations. Dené Mosier presented a workshop on community engagement and Laura Burton presented on marketing and promotions. The team also toured the stunning Madison Children's Museum, learning about their innovative use of sustainable materials and nature-based exhibits. In super fun news: Caitlin won a drawing for a free science exhibit so stay tuned on that! We ❤️ experiences that help us bring back the very best ideas from our field to our community to support local families! #ia24
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Kansas Children's Discovery Center reposted this
Kansas Department of Commerce received an invitation to visit the "Picture the Dream: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement through Children’s Books" exhibit at Kansas Children's Discovery Center, it was truly inspirational. This unique exhibition celebrates the 70th anniversary of the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision and explores the civil rights movement through the lens of children's literature. Whether you're a history buff, art enthusiast, or someone looking for a meaningful way to spend a day, this exhibit is a must-see. Don’t miss the chance to witness this powerful portrayal of the civil rights movement through the art of storytelling. #CivilRights #ChildrensBooks #ArtExhibit #History #KansasChildrensDiscoveryCenter #Kansas
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We were honored to host Arthur G. Affleck, III alongside other children's museum professionals at the Kansas Children's Discovery Center for the opening of our Picture the Dream exhibit. This exhibit is part of our larger work to elevate the perspectives of children in our community. Thank you for the kind words, Arthur! Come back again, soon!
A Journey of Education and Inspiration: A recent trip to Topeka, Kansas, offered a powerful combination of celebrating a historic civil rights milestone and learning about an innovative program at the Kansas Children's Discovery Center. The occasion was the 70th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling, which outlawed segregation in public schools. It was an honor to join Dene' Mosier, President/CEO of the Discover Center, and a distinguished group of guests, including Topeka's Mayor, City Council members, state legislators and Discovery Center Board members. We were particularly pleased to be joined by children’s museum leaders from other states, including Children's Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus, Louisiana Children's Museum, KidsQuest Children's Museum of Bellevue, Washington,The Regnier Family Wonderscope Children's Museum of Kansas City, Lincoln Children's Museum, Children's Museum Tucson and Kearney Area Children's Museum. We all celebrated this pivotal moment in the fight for racial equality. The visit was further enriched by the opening of a captivating exhibit, "Picture the Dream: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement through Children's Books." It served as a powerful reminder of the ongoing struggle for justice and the importance of educating future generations. My colleagues and I made the short drive from Topeka to Kansas City where we were hosted at the exceptional Wonderscope Children’s Museum by Roxane Hill, Executive Director and her Board Chair, Sara Prem. Making certain to follow local customs if not laws, we also visited Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que, the original gas station location. During my time with Dené, I learned more about and was particularly impressed by the Discovery Center’s "Play Free" program. This program offers a unique opportunity for children and their incarcerated parents (including grandparents in some cases) to forge strong bonds through play-based learning experiences. Launched in 2018, Play Free initially focused on mothers visiting the museum with their children. Now, in 2024, it has expanded to serve fathers and juvenile parents across Kansas, offering a nurturing space outside prison walls, both at the museum and through the Discovery Center's mobile program. This commitment to strengthening family connections during incarceration resonates with the Children's Museum of Manhattan’s(CMOM) recent installation at Rosie M. Singer's Visitor Center on Rikers Island. This initiative aims to enhance the experience of children visiting their incarcerated mothers by creating dedicated spaces for interaction and support. Kudos to CMOM's President and CEO, Dava Schub and Leslie Bushara, Chief Program Officer and the entire CMOM team for their dedication to New York families. These initiatives serve as inspiring examples, and we hope they will motivate others to create similar programs. #Children #Museums #Togetherness #Family #Dreams
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Picture the Dream: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement through Children’s Books delves into the events, people, and themes of the civil rights movement through children’s literature. The exhibit will be open at the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center from May 3 to August 11, 2024 and is included in the cost of regular admission. We are incredibly proud to offer this experience for families as part of a community-wide commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/gji2TrgQ
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Exhibit announcement! The Kansas Children’s Discovery Center will host Picture the Dream: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement through Children’s Books in honor of the 70th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision. Picture the Dream will open to the public on Friday, May 3 at 9 a.m. Picture the Dream: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement through Children’s Books delves into the events, people, and themes of the civil rights movement through children’s literature. The original exhibition was curated by award-winning children’s book author Andrea Davis Pinkney. The Kansas Children’s Discovery Center will host the exhibit in reproduction as a collection of compelling prints that evoke the power and continuing relevance of the era that shaped American history and continues to reverberate today. Visitors to the exhibit will experience: A collection of more than 70 works from 55 different children’s books telling the story of the civil rights movement. Artwork depicts Brown v. Board and other key historical events up to the modern era. Many of the pieces show events from the perspectives of children. An interactive mural created by local artists Aisha Imani Sanaa and Vivian Wilson Bluett. The artists worked with local children to design and paint the mural, which is displayed in movable tiles to allow visitors to design and redesign the artwork. A praxinoscope animation tool that allows children to see the connection between drawing, animation, and storytelling. Artwork for the praxinoscope was created by local artist Dané Shobe. A reading and reflection area featuring the exhibit’s books and work from local author Dayonne Richardson. An art creation station allowing children to add their own drawings to the exhibit. A program series featuring local and regional artists, including poet Annette Billings and the artists featured in the exhibit. Picture the Dream: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement through Picture Books will be on view at the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center from May 3 to August 11, 2024 and will be included in the cost of regular admission. Complimentary tours of the exhibit for adult groups are available by request. Learn more about the exhibit at https://lnkd.in/gji2TrgQ Cover Image: Raúl Colón, Illustration for Child of the Civil Rights Movement by Paula Young Shelton. Collection of R. Michelson Galleries, Northampton, Massachusetts. © 2009 Raul Colón. Used by permission of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.
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Our latest email newsletter has the scoop on Friday's Good Bugs program, a chance to have a real vet check your stuffy, egg-celent home activities, and an update on Play Free! Check it out! https://conta.cc/43zYUAi
Bugs and Buddies
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Please take a moment to learn more about the newest part of our Play Free program, which serves children with incarcerated parents. We are honored to be a part of this partnership with Kansas Department of Corrections. https://lnkd.in/gyizENjW
KJCC / Kansas Childrens Discovery Ctr Visitation 02 20 2024 FINAL
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