Museum opens its doors for good

Children, teenagers, college students, parents, and senior citizens can find common ground and share experiences at the Harrisonburg Children's Museum.

The museum has now opened its doors year-round in response to community interest. It was founded in January 2002 as a non-profit organization to "provide a community-inspired museum designed to engage young minds through interactive, multi-sensory learning experiences that promote greater understanding of themselves and their world," as stated on their website.

Lisa Shull, director of the museum, is a former schoolteacher and first advocate for the museum, along with her husband. The Shulls had visited other children's museums in the United States and decided to bring the idea to Harrisonburg. "We thought it would be wonderful for the area," she said.

Shull worked in an elementary school for 11 years and has also worked part-time at James Madison University as a supervisor and evaluator for student teachers. She was attracted to the idea many museums employ: the hands-on experience.

"Everything moved very fast," said Shull. "We started talking in January and we held our first program last summer called 'Where in the World is the Harrisonburg Children's Museum?'"

The program was located in eight different businesses who allowed the museum to set up exhibits on their site. Participants each had a passport, which was "stamped" as they visited each site. Sites included the Rockingham Memorial Hospital Wellness Center, where children learned about health, and the Playhouse, where they learned about theater and dance.

Shull, however, didn't like the entire feel of the program. "We were constantly mobile and didn't have a permanent space. We were in transit."

The next summer brought temporary, but more permanent facilities, with the lease of a space for seven weeks, where they held their most recent program, Metamorphosis. "We wanted to emphasize change," said Shull.

Metamorphosis was incredibly successful. "We had over 7,000 visits in seven weeks," said Shull. "People were asking us to 'please keep this going.'"

Shull and others were finally able to respond to that call. The lease was renewed for one year, until August 31 of 2004, and their doors opened officially on October 14.

Current exhibits include topics such as weather, the farmer's market, and construction. The construction site, for example, has equipment and materials where children can set up electric circuits and (if successful) see a light bulb turn on due to their wiring efforts.

All exhibits are staffed by volunteers. In fact, there are only three paid employees in the organization: Shull and two other managers who rotate among exhibits, giving advice and offering help.

"We are always looking for help," said Shull. "We rely on volunteers and their support. Volunteering is for anyone who has a love for children, learning, and wants to gain experience or share a talent."

Persons interested in membership options have their choice between six memberships, ranging from an Individual Membership for $30 and a Corporate Membership for $500. The Individual Membership provides many benefits, such as unlimited admission, 3 single-use guest passes, and other member perks.

For more on membership information, volunteer information, or browsing for curiosity's sake, persons can visit www.hcmuseum.org, e-mail the museum at hcmkids@aol.com, call 442-8900, or simply stop by the museum for a look around. Admission is $3 for all, adults and children, and free for children under the age of two.