City Museum

On Sunday, we wanted to get the monkeys out of the house for a little activity.  Carl and I were going over all the options...the zoo, Grant' Farm, Science Center...all the usual suspects, but I wanted to do something different.  Then I thought of the City Museum.  We don't go to the City Museum a lot because it is geared more for older kids, but I thought it might be fun for a little change so we gave it a whirl.

 

 This is the rooftop of the 14-story building, equipped with a massive preying mantis, huge slide, a bus hanging over the side of the building, and a fully operating ferris wheel.  (Somehow Lily managed to convince me to go on the ferris wheel.)

 

 The coolest part of the building (in my opinion) is on the ground floor at the entrance.  It really is a work of art with lots of spaces to climb and underground caves to explore; there is a magical quality to it.  However there are many small spaces which young kids could get into but would be very challenging for an adult to squeeze into should a rescue be necessary.  Also, it is nearly impossible for an adult to track kids once they disappear into the nooks and crannies.

 

 Emilia checks out the fish and turtles in the tank.

 

 William had a ball and was able to enjoy more elements in the museum than I thought he could.  Having Lily there undoubtedly gave him more confidence.

 

 There is a small area for the 6 and under crowd which Emmy enjoyed.

 

 The museum has a very urban/industrial/art deco feel to it.  Elements like this one which can be used to run or slide exemplify the museum's vibe.

 

The building is filled to the brim with these structures.  These climbing tunnels twist and turn between different floors, again posing a challenge for adults to follow.  So, all in all, it's not the most relaxing outing you will have as a parent of little ones, but they did have a great time and did not want to leave after two and a half hours.  We will undoubtedly be back for more explorations at the City Museum, but I think we need a few months recovery time in between.