The Central Wisconsin Children’s Museum in Stevens Point

In Stevens Point, Wisconsin there are many different fun activities to do for families. One of the best places to take your kids to is the Central Wisconsin Children’s Museum. They get to use their imagination, creativity, language and many other skills depending on what age they are and what exhibit you are at in a fun way as they learn new things.

The Central Wisconsin Children’s Museum is located in the CenterPoint Market Place in downtown Stevens Point. They opened up in May of 1997 in a 1,200 square foot place and business was doing amazing. With rising attendance, more programs added, and continued community support, they decided they needed to expand. So in 2001 they added on an additional 3,000 square feet that gave them the opportunity to add more exhibits.

Currently the Children’s Museum is doing amazing. They estimate that over 10,000 people a year visit the museum annually. The children’s ages range anywhere from 6 months and older, and the museum’s mission is to provide them a place to explore and strengthen their confidence, capabilities, and creativity through hands on activities and exhibits.

The Museum charges a small fee to enter but it is well worth the price. They charge $3 per for adults and children. Children that are under the age of 1 year old are free. They also offer discounted rates to larger groups. School groups that are going to the museum also get a great discount. They do require you to call ahead if you are bringing a larger group. If you visit the museum often throughout the year, you can get a membership to save money.

I had my nephew who is 8 years old and my niece who is 6 for a few days, and I was looking for different and fun places to take them for entertainment in the area. On of my friends told me about this museum, so that is why I decided to take them here and I am glad that I did. They had a blast and so did I.

They have lots of really neat themed exhibits throughout the museum to interact at. “Life in a Log” is an exhibit that features a fake fallen 8 foot tree that is starting to decay. It allows the children to explore creatures that live inside of the decaying tree and helps them see the cycles of trees in the forests. This area also has a really cool bug maze that the kids can find their way through, animal puppets putting on skits and a tent.

The exhibit of “Dorie’s Stories” was my one of my niece’s favorite ones to go to. This exhibit featured an imaginary magical forest theme with stars on the ceiling. On the floor they have an area where you can lay back and read books. The pillows that they have look like rocks. They are so cool! Then from the ceiling there are vines hanging down that have monkeys on them. It is a very cool area to let your imagination run wild as you are reading stories.

The Exhibit “In the Nest” is a very cute one for the babies and small toddlers under the age of 3 years old. It is a giant nest with 2 large robins. In the area they have different puzzles and toys that are designated for that age group. They have an area where you can plant fake plants, crawl through a giant compost bin that has cool stuffed animal bugs and giant leaves. It was fun watching the little babies’ eyes light up in this area.

The Exhibit build it was my Nephew’s favorite one of the day. I could hardly get him to leave this one. This exhibit features different castles, forts, skyscrapers, and other houses that you can build yourself. They have materials like giant legos, foam blocks, and waffle tiles that the children can use to build things. He jumped right in with the other kids that were in here and they all worked together to build their city. It was very cute. Each one was a different height so it worked perfect with them building stuff. They had every level taken care of!

The “Seeing is Believing?” exhibit was the second favorite of the day for both my niece and nephew. This exhibit featured different optical illusions and puzzles for the kids. They have a small house where there is illusions painted on the walls and windows. Then outside of the house they have pictures where the kids can try and find all of the hidden animals. Even though none of the kids knew each other, they all worked together in this area.

For other exhibits they also have “Make It Paper” where the kids can create different themed projects of the day and other art activities they have available. Another exhibit is “acting up.” Here kids can go on stage and perform for others with the different costumes, musical instruments and equipment that they supply. It is really cute to see the kids up there performing. There is also an exhibit called the “Basic American Foods Farm to Market.” This allows the children to explore the process that vegetables take from the farm all the way to the market. Then they can go over to the shopping market there and shop for different foods in different food groups.

They also offer special activities and events like pottery classes and beached themed parties that take place throughout the month for children of all different age groups that you can sign up for. You can ask them for details on what is going on when you visit. They also have weekly groups that you can participate in doing different activities.

The museum’s hours are Wednesdays and Fridays 9 am-4 pm, Thursdays 9am-4pm, and Saturdays and Sundays noon-4pm. Trust me this is a great place to take your kids. As an adult I had fun with it also! I would definitely take my niece and nephew back, and they would gladly go back.

You can have children’s birthday parties here also if you want to. For the package they coordinate special birthday events for the children. What a great party to have for the young ones. You could have them perform a special puppet show also. The birthday parties do require a 2 week advance reservation, so make sure to call ahead.

If you have children and are in the Stevens Point area or close by, this is a must go to place. You will be guarantee a morning, afternoon, or a whole day of fun! Like I said it is a great way for the kids to interact with other kids, and to get a hands on experience to learn and have fun. If you have any questions about anything to do with the museum, you can contact them at 715-344-2003.