Children's Museum of the Shoals


For the past two years families across the Quad Cities have been anxiously awaiting the Grand Opening of the beloved Children’s Museum of the Shoals on June 8th. With the help of the City of Florence and many generous donors, all of the venues have been reinvigorated with new materials and redesigned to promote creative, educational play for children. This innovative museum is more than a play-date option, it’s an interactive place for children to explore new ideas, dig into the creative arts, and learn more about their interests and talents. It’s not just a museum for viewing, but a community hub for children to make new friends, grow, and for families to come together. 

The outdoor space and two floors have been freshened up with new paint, flooring, additional venue spaces, and exciting features like an art classroom, outdoor dinosaur dig, and gift shop entrance. Guests who visit the museum, can expect to find the gift shop stocked full of creative gifts and toys perfect for birthday and Christmas presents— a complete, one-stop-shop for grab and go high-quality gifts. In addition, the bright, colorful walls and multitude of windows creates an airy, welcoming space with plenty of room for large groups. The cheery building boasts detailed, playful wall murals and large venues that are more than museum exhibits, but interactive stations where children can participate in learning, discovering new perspectives, and expanding their horizons. 

The newly renovated venues include the Anderson Science Center, Construction Zone, Rockin’ Restaurant, Pet Vet, Dino Dig, Renaissance Castle, and Shoals Sound to name just a few of the 18 stations, and there’s guaranteed to be something for every age to explore with a variety of interests including a toddler play room, with a weekly themed story hour, as well as a special needs program with frequent support meetings for families. The two-story museum and outdoor back patio provides hours upon hours of fun and learning, whether it be a casual afternoon with friends, summer camp, or birthday party.

The museum’s services will vastly extend beyond the 18 venues with meticulously organized programs including art camp for ages 4-6 and 7-10, with children having the opportunity to learn sculpting, acrylic painting, portrait painting, and water color, as well as a science camp exploring science, technology, engineering, and math. These camps will not only leave students with something to be proud of at the end of the camp, but with memories to take with them for the rest of their lives. The Children’s Museum will also be offering themed birthday parties that come complete with cakes, decor, and activities so all mom and dad have to worry about is taking pictures of the celebratory event. Stay on the lookout for more information regarding party themes and how to book your child’s next birthday celebration. 

The Children’s Museum of the Shoals is opening in less than a month, and this warm, inviting community-minded spot was thoughtfully created by a new group of board members who are passionate about our community and have been working tirelessly to see it through over the last 15 months. What has resulted is a debt-free museum backed by Guild members and Museum Mommies who have provided their support both financially and physically to construct a creative town center-point where families will join together in growing and shaping the future of the Shoals— and for this our community is forever grateful. 

For anyone interested in joining there is a variety of membership options to meet the needs of each family. For more information call 256-765-0500. 

Hours: 
Thursday - Saturday 10 - 5
Sunday 1 - 5




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