Educator'sField Trip Letter * Scout's Merit Badge Lttr * Educator's Brochure * Fees /Hrs * Group Visit/Prog.Prices * CM 2010 events*
Gift Shop *Programs *Group Guidelines *Museum Rules * Space Science * Pictures * Map *Placeto Eat * Educ.Materials *Floor Map

The Children's Museum offerings:

Our museum offers a safe, enjoyable, interactive learning environment with 3 floors of interactive exhibits, a 4th floor open twice a day, and eating space! Be among the educators who take advantage of a field trip to the Children's Museum. Kids, from 1 to 101 love them and learn from them, and from the interactiveness of our 60 Pavilions, housing 1000's of educationally enjoyable hands-on exhibits. Our mission is to continue the passion for making the only Children's Museum in Central New York one of the best in the country.

What better place to bring...

• your students on a field trip?
• your scouts to earn a badge?
• your daycare children on an outing?
• your family for a great day out?
• your group for a meeting or a tour?

($ off Coupons are valid with group pricing, but free coupons are not valid with group pricing). Daily activities and viewing of all four floors is included in the admission price, visit fee, and program fee. Download group rates program info form. Download group rates visit info form. ADMISSION to all 4 floors & activities: $7.00 children 2-17; $8.00 seniors; $9.00 adults. Members & children under 2 years age are free. NOTE: We receive no operations funding from the City, County, State, or Federal government, thus we rely on visitors, donations, & sponsors – however you can DOWNLOAD $1 off per person coupons on our website!

In addition to the Daily Visit Activities at The Children's Museum, following are some of the 100's of exhibits we house:

NOTE: We have special Summer Activities & Winter Break activities * Check out our Monthly Event Flyer on our New Stuff page.

History:
* Dino Digs! - In our paleontoloy center, explore pre-historic life, learning about the mighty dinosaurs who roamed this earth for a million years.
* Erie Canal - View and read and learn about the tremendous impact the Erie Canal made in our area in our Erie Canal Hall of Fame.
* Citizens & Voters Facts - View the voting machine used in the 2000 FL elections and test your knowledge of questions to become an American Citizen.

Space:
* NASA exhibits - View our exciting 4th floor NASA exhibits, including the Mars Rover, Lunar Lander, Rockets, and Space Theatre.
* Astronauts & Spinoffs - Find out what comes back to us from the NASA flights, what astronauts wear and eat, etc.

Living Science:
* Cute Critters - Discover the mysterious life of honeybees and insects. Learn how we care for and feed the various animals in our museum’s Living Science Center.

Science:
* Science Explorers - girls and boys to explore the sciences through hands-on experimentation and scientific observation, using our computer programs
* Space Place - Discover the secrets of the stars, moons, planets, and outer space. Learn how space travel has influenced what we do here on Earth
* Weather Phenomenon – Browse through our interactive weather web page, and view videos and DVD's on weather in our weather room!

Creating:
* Lego Challenge - parents or caregivers join children in teams to compete to develop the most creative solution to the museum’s lego challenge.
* Truck & Dino Digs - children love putting the "bones" together to create the dinosaur, and play construction in our truck dig.

Music & Entertainment:
* Musical Mayhem - If you can sing, dance, play an instrument, jump or jam, you’ll enjoy exploring our second floor Musical Stage with Karaoke.
* CM Radio Room - We have one of the only live radio stations in a Children's Museum

Collections:
* Barbie Dolls + - Our second floor doll collection features Barbie Dolls, Clown Dolls, and a Community Dollhouse.
* Hot Wheels - We have one, if not the, largest collection of hot wheels for viewing, covering the various decades from its inception to present.

Art:
* Crafty Creations - There's often various activities going on in our Arts & Crafts area, along with free coloring pages the children may take home.
* Native American - Numerous artifacts can be found in our Iroquois Longhouse and our Trading Post

Sports:
* International Halls of Fame for Bicycling, Rowing, Canoeing, Kayaking - The hall includes bikes & kayaks gets can climb onto & into, along with numerous artifacts.
* The Mohawk Valley's Cradle of Baseball - The walls depict the numerous baseball legends from right here in our area.

Reading:
* Puppet Theatre – Children love acting out parts in our Dinosaur Puppet Theatre
* Rotary Reading Room - Enjoy the "4 Way Test" DVD running with activities.
* Playspace Library - For use with children under the age of three

~ View our monthly program/event flyer ~ View our directions ~ Contact us or Email us

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Guidelines for School & Day-Care Groups

Welcome to the Children's Museum. Our diverse collection of hands-on exhibits and educational programs is an invaluable resource for school groups in the Central New York area and more than 150,000 visitors a year. Enjoy your visit! To ensure the health and safety of your students and all of our visitors, we ask that you review the following guidelines with students prior to your visit to CM. Supervision of students in the Museum is imperative; unsupervised students or children should not wander around the Museum.

Our guidelines are we require one (1) responsible adult chaperone for every six (6) students to make the most of your educational experience. This adult/student ratio is particularly important on the upper floors. We require one (1) responsible adult chaperone for every four (4) visiting children. General - Running is not permitted anywhere in the Children's Museum, nor is swinging on the curtains on our stage area. Portable radios, cassette, or disc players that are audible to other visitors in the Museum are not permitted. Shirts and shoes must be worn at all times while in the Museum, except for children under 5 while they are in PlaySpace. For everyone's safety, do not pet or taunt animals in our Living Science Area. Thank you for reviewing these CM rules with students and chaperones. By observing these guidelines and supervising students, you are also helping to ensure the health and well-being of our ever-growing children's museum for present and future generations.

Time Frame - We book groups for a two hour Visit, which gives your group a half hour on each of our four floors. If you are going to be staying for lunch, we'll book your group for two and a half hours. Arrival times are usually between 9:30am and 10:00am. Departure is usually between 11:30am and 1:00pm.

A Before-You-Visit Review Suggestion - Before you review this list of guidelines with your school group, ask your students to first list ways that the Children's Museum is different from a Park or Zoo. A partial list of rules for appropriate behavior and conduct may emerge from this discussion based on a student's experience and understanding of all that the Children's Museum has to offer. You can then review any remaining rules and guidelines on this sheet that have not been raised by your students.

Educational Materials - Teachers of groups that book programs are given educational handout materials for each of their students on the visit, for them to reinforce what's learned on the field trip.

Traveling by Bus - Buses should drop off students at our front entrance on Main Street, by the Museum Entrance sign. After students disembark, buses may park further down Main Street or in the Parking Lot across from the Museum. Signs for Children's Museum parking are fully visible.

Accessibility for Physically Challenged: We have a ramp right next to the Main entrance for wheelchairs and others who may have trouble navigating the few steps to the Museum's entrance. While we encourage groups to use our beautiful oak stairway to visit the upper floors, we do have an elevator that goes to all floors. Restrooms are available on the first floor. To pix* To top * To text

Food & Beverages & Eating Space:

Food, Snacks, Lunches - a place to eat. For safety reasons, food & beverages are not allowed anywhere on the floors or in our exhibit areas. Visitors may bring bag lunches or snack to eat in our 1st floor Kitchen/Birthday room - which holds up to 40 people at a time, or on our 1st floor bench by our museum back door, or on the picnic table on our covered train platform outside our door, or (weather permitting) in the historic park outside. We have snack bags (chips etc.), soda, juice, and water available for purchase. You may also get your hand stamped and drive to a local restaurant (there are several within a mile) and return after lunch.

Saturday's we host birthday parties, so 1st Kitchen/Birthday room may or may not be available. If this is the case, individuals may eat on the bench by our back door, or on the bench out by the train, or on the benches in the park. We can also accomodate groups who pre-book visits on Saturday's.

General - Running is not permitted anywhere in the Children's Museum, nor is swinging on the curtains on our stage area. Portable radios, cassette, or disc players that are audible to other visitors in the Museum are not permitted. Shirts and shoes must be worn at all times while in the Museum, except for the under 5 children while they are in PlaySpace. For everyone's safety, do not pet or taunt animals in our Living Science Area.

Museum Gift Shop

Gift Shop - Our CM Gift Shop is open daily with items priced from $1. to $20. and many at only $2. or $3. Among the gifts are space science related items, our Children's Museum mug and ornament, along with a neat variety of items.

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Meetings and/or Tours:

Our diverse collection of hands-on exhibits and unique meeting space is an invaluable resource for groups. Book your meeting or visit today!

Accessibility for Physically Challenged: We have a ramp right next to the Main entrance for wheelchairs and others who may have trouble navigating the few steps to the Museum's entrance. While we encourage groups to use our beautiful oak stairway to visit the upper floors, we do have an elevator that goes to all floors. Restrooms are available on the first floor.

For more information, check out our Meetings page; call us at 315-724-6129, or email us so we can check to see if the dates you want are avilable. To pix* To top * To text

Museum Hours:
Open: - July & August: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 9:20am-2:20pm. Open: - Sept. through June when school is in session - Monday, Thursday from 9:20am to 1:20pm and Saturday from 9:20am to 2:00pm (& some other days during school breaks & holidays– check online calendar). To ensure enough time to enjoy your visit, no admissions are allowed one hour before closing time. Kitchen closes one hour prior to that day's closing. We reserve the right to close early on any given day which has no visitors in.

Holiday Weeks & School Closing Hours:
The museum is open on the following national holidays:
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans' Day, Winter Break, Spring Break
The museum is closed on the following holidays:
New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Check our Online Calendar for special event & holiday schedule, renovation closings, etc.

Admission (at the door):
$7.00 children 2 to 17; $8.00 Seniors; $9.00 Adults
Members and children under 2 years of age Free
Admission enables you to view and intereact with all exhibits on all four floors.
Last admission one hour before closing.
NOTE: While we are a not-for-profit, we receive no funding for operations from the City, County, State, or Federal government

Group Rates (pre-booked):
Group Rates - Visit & Self-guided Tour of 4 floors (pre-booked):
$6.25 per person in groups of 10-14 (visit only, everyone pays same amount)
$6.00 per person in groups of 15-24 (visit only, 1 chaperone free for every 6 paid)
$5.75 per person in groups of 25-49 (visit only, 1 chaperone free for every 6 paid)
$5.50 per person in groups of 50-74 (visit only, 1 chaperone free for every 6 paid)
$5.25 per person in groups of 75-99 (visit only, 1 chaperone free for every 6 paid)
$5.00 per person in groups of 100 or more (visit only, 1 chaperone free for every 6 paid)
(One teacher or adult chaperone is required for every six students, and will be admitted at no cost. Additional chaperones pay the visit rate. Includes pre/post information).

Group Rates - Visit or Tour plus Educational Program (pre-booked):

$7.00 per person in groups of 15-24 (visit & program, 1 chaperone free for every 6 paid)
$6.75 per person in groups of 25-49 (visit & program, 1 chaperone free for every 6 paid)
$6.50 per person in groups of 50-74 (visit & program, 1 chaperone free for every 6 paid)
$6.25 per person in groups of 75-99 (visit & program, 1 chaperone free for every 6 paid)
$6.00 per person in groups of 100+ (visit & program, 1 chaperone free for every 6 paid)
(One teacher or adult chaperone is required for every six students, and will be admitted at no cost. Additional chaperones pay the visit rate. Includes pre/post educational materials. (you can combine classes to reach reduced numbers).

($ off Coupons are valid with group pricing, but free coupons are not valid with group pricing). Daily activities and viewing of all four floors is included in the admission price, visit fee, and program fee. Download group rates program info form. Download group rates visit info form.

Time Frame - We book groups for a two hour Visit, which gives your group a half hour on each of our four floors. If you are going to be staying for lunch, we'll book your group for two and a half hours. If you're going to include a Program (for $1 extra per person), we'll book your group for three hours. Arrival times are usually between 9:30am.

Book your program today by calling 315-724-6129, or email Director Marlene Brown, so we can check to see if the dates you want are avilable.

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Educational Enrichment Programs we offer: a great supplement to your classroom or scout activities, with real museum artifacts and exhibits students can touch and interact with! The Museum is a hands-on learning center with emphasis on local history, environmental science, the arts, and space science. The Museum provides educational programs for local school groups, home school groups, scouts, and daycare centers throughout the three county area that we serve, as well as for groups who come in by bus and train from throughout the state. Our Educational Enrichment Programs enhance learning for children of all ages. Teachers & others who book educational field trips are given resource materials for their students to enhance learning after the visit.

Children’s Museum NYS Curriculum Enrichment Programs in our Historic building with Supplemental materials [Or take students on a Self-guided Visit with maps & descriptions we’ll provide]

HISTORY:
History’s in the Bag (4th-5th grade) Children analyze historical artifacts & draw conclusions about early CNY residents.

Erie Canal History (4th-6th grd) Covers beginnings of the Mohawk Valley, people who lived then, how the canal impacted life in NYS.

Moccasins & Sneakers (PreK-3rd grade) In our Longhouse, children compare their lives w/ Iroquois who lived in area 100’s of yrs ago.

Moccasins & Sneakers (4-6th grade) Older students interact w/artifacts, learn about Native American legends & Iroquois Confederacy.

The Harvest Feast (PreK -3rd grade) Using artifacts & soft-sculpture food, children learn how the first Thanksgiving was celebrated.

The Harvest Feast 4th-6th grade) Students learn how this impacted NYS settlement & history.

Intro to NYS Geology(3rd -6th grade) From volcanic islands to mile thick glaciers, learn how NYS landscape has been shaped by forces.

SCIENCE:
Mighty Microscopes (3rd-6th grade) Students explore the important role microbes, bacteria, cells, and DNA play.

Science of Weather (3rd-6th grade) Students learn forces of nature, weather, cloud formations, air pressure & rainbows in our weather rm

Rub-a-Dub-Dub (PreK-2nd grade) Static electricity is explored as students use balloons & magnets to discover attraction & repulsion.

HUMANITIES:
Music on the Move (PreK-1st grade) Explore movement and rhythm in a fun way.

SOCIAL STUDIES:
Settlement Beginnings: (3rd-6th grade) Discover objects traded between colonists & Haudenosaunee w/kiosks

Clues to the Past: (2nd-4th grade) Discover how archaeologists & historians use rocks & fossils to learn about cultures & environment.

EARTH SCIENCE:
Dance of Honeybee (2nd-5th grade) Children learn the honeybee’s role & gain an understanding of a beehive.

Going On a Bug Hunt (PreK -3rd grade) Puppets bring to life the world of insects. Learn anatomy of insects & how they communicate.

Going On a Bug Hunt (4th-6th grade) Students learn how important insects & bugs are to our world, & how they help humans.

Archeological Dig (1st-6th grade) Students will go on an artifact dig, learning the scientific procedure unlocking the mysteries of our past.

Dinosaurs & Fossils (PreK-3rd grade) With puppets & fossils, children learn about the “terrible lizards” that used to roam the earth.

Dinosaurs & Fossils (4th-6th grade) Learn how scientists pieced together clues from the Mesozoic era to understand Dinosaurs & myths.

Where they go in the Snow (PreK -4th grade) Using puppetry, animal skins, shells, we learn adaptations of animals in order to survive .

Making Tracks (PreK -3rd grade) Identifying & comparing different animal tracks generates an interest in nature & observation skills.

ASTRONOMY/SPACE:
Space Exploration (PreK-3rd) Children learn about 100 years of flight, why we explore space & interact with NASA exhibits. (4th-6th)

Students learn benefits of space exploration, impact on their future & goals of the International Space Station.

Solar System (4th-6th) View timeline graphs of solar exploration history. Compare & contrast planets & how scientists use space data.

~ Check program pricing ~ View our directions ~

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Keep checking the website, pick up flyers in the Museum, and continue to enjoy our fun and educational events in a safe learning environment! View the latest news on our New Stuff Page. And find out more on our About Us page.

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