Category:
From the outside, it looks like a historic red structure, but on the inside, it is sparking imagination and creativity among the youngest generation.
Opened in the spring of 1981, the Wilbraham Children’s Museum was provided as a recreational and educational service for young children in the area. Now, it serves the community by offering playgroups, birthday parties and special events geared toward children 5 and under.
The inside of the museum — which is closed to the public and utilized for playgroups only — is filled with various play areas such as a castle with a slide, a play kitchen, a train table, a spaceship, and lots of books and puzzles, to name a few.
Its blue and green walls are decorated with posters of assorted learning material and seasonal decor, while the window trim is painted in different colors of the rainbow. Outside, there is a fenced-in playground that is open to the public year-round.
Amanda Docherty, president of the Wilbraham Children’s Museum, said the playground is equipped with a swing set and various playscapes, a sand box, play kitchen, a shed-like toy house, and even a pirate ship.
“We have a lot of different things for kids to do both inside when it’s playgroup and then outside, that’s open to the public all year-round,” she shared.
There are also picnic tables and a pavilion set up for people to enjoy a snack or have lunch when visiting the playground, Docherty added.
“It’s a really nice area for even just the public to enjoy on the playground,” she said.
Docherty has been the president of the Wilbraham Children’s Museum for almost one year but joined the museum several years ago.
“My favorite thing about the museum is that it brings the community together, especially for the little ones and caregivers of those children,” she said.
She continued, “For the first four years of living in town, I knew no one except my neighbors.” After the coronavirus pandemic, when Docherty had her first two children, is when she joined the Wilbraham Children’s Museum.
“Since joining, I have watched my children grow friendships that have made it outside of the museum. I have also made some friends along the way,” she shared.
The Wilbraham Children’s Museum offers membership for $50, annually. The fee helps with the upkeep of the building and grounds, in addition to improvements to the museum’s various amenities.
Docherty explained that as a member, there are “perks” which include special events for members only, discounts on birthday parties and discounts on certain events.
Membership renewals are due in August. To become a member, Docherty said people can sign up directly on the Wilbraham Children’s Museum website.
“If you decide to just want to be a member — which we do have a handful of people that are just members — they get members only options, such as monthly bedtime story time, where they read a story, have a snack and do a craft, which is usually themed,” she said.
Some other member-only events include Cookies and Cocoa with Santa, a family picnic and game night.
The museum also hosts an annual Trunk or Treat and Turkey Toddle, which is open to non-members as well.
The indoor playgroups are offered seven days a week, from September through June. One session runs from September through December, and the other session runs from January through June. Each session costs $50.
For those interested in membership and the two playgroup sessions, it would cost $150 to purchase separately. However, Docherty said there are a lot of people who will buy it all in one transaction, and if they do, it is discounted to $135.
Every year, people have to re-register as a member and re-sign up for playgroups.
The Wilbraham Children’s Museum typically hosts a registration fair in August, where a lot of people will renew or start a membership, or sign up for playgroups.
Docherty said there is no limit to how many people can become members or attend playgroups. However, they generally try to keep around 10 to 12 kids in a playgroup because the inside of the building can get a bit crowded, as the children usually come with a caregiver.
Birthday parties are also hosted at the museum yearround, on Saturdays and Sundays, either 12:30-2:30 p.m. or 3:30-5:30 p.m. People do not have to be members to have a birthday party there.
This summer, Docherty said some of the museum’s board members will be at the Wilbraham Farmers Market on Aug. 13 and Aug. 27, at the Scantic Valley YMCA from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There, people can talk with the board members and get more information on the museum, what it has to offer, and can also register.
What makes the Wilbraham Children’s Museum different from other children’s museums are its weekly playgroups, which Docherty said most do not have.
She noted that its events are much different than other museums as well. For instance, the Trunk or Treat is hosted at Fern Valley Farms and the Turkey Toddle is at Minnechaug Regional High School. Docherty said this “brings the community to other local places within the community.”
“I believe children enjoy a lot of what we have to offer,” Docherty concluded.
THE WILBRAHAM CHILDREN’S MUSEUM FOLLOWS THE HAMPDENWILBRAHAM REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT CALENDAR, SO IF THE DISTRICT IS CLOSED, SO IS THE MUSEUM, BUT THE OUTDOOR PLAYGROUND REMAINS OPEN YEAR-ROUND.
WILBRAHAM CHILDREN’S MUSEUM IS LOCATED AT 678 MAIN ST. IN WILBRAHAM.
MORE INFORMATION ON THE MUSEUM CAN BE FOUND AT WILBRAHAMCHILDRENSMUSEUM.COM, AS WELL AS FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM.
Share this:
