Future Exhibits
What Will Our Museum Be Like? Phase One of CMSJ's Master Museum Plan is Underway
After many months of compiling ideas, gathering ideas from the community, and making trips to various children's museums around the country to see what works well firsthand, the Education and Exhibits Committee has been hard at work developing a concept plan for CMSJ.
In order to incorporate the major industries and attractions - both historic and natural - of the St. Johns County area into the plan, we determined five major theme areas: Community Town Center; St. Augustine History; River and Environs; Beach and Environs; and Agriculture and Farming. Depending on where the museum's initial site is and what outdoor space may be available, the team is also developing ideas for outdoor exhibits.
Read more details in the Concept Plan here or an overview below of some of our planned exhibits:
- The "Community Cares" Town Center includes ideas for a mini grocery store, hospital, music store, salon and barber shop, and art institute ringed by a roadway with peddle cars and a gazebo area for storytelling and performances.
- The River theme area includes a centrally located fishing boat with multiple levels and climb-aboard structures featuring hands-on stations for learning about fishing, navigating, and knot tying. Surrounding water tables will include stations where children can build and launch their own boats, learn about liquid measurements and water pressure, and blow monster bubbles.
- Bordering the river and history theme areas is a replica of the Castillo de San Marcos which will include a soft, safe play space for toddlers as well as numerous components for bigger kids such as a mini cannon ball drop and maze, climbing wall, and moat filled with blue balls and soft sea creatures.
- For each exhibit, the concept plan includes a rationale and main message; a full description of the exhibit and all the various components and props necessary to complete the experience; and a table detailing how different age groups, including adults, will use the exhibit and what learning styles it incorporates.
The Education and Exhibits committee, which consists of a number of educators with expertise in early childhood education, is placing an emphasis on keeping exhibits simple. "We're keeping the focus on creative play and incorporating components that offer young children an opportunity to use gross motor skills," comments Jenni Jackson, Education Committee Co-Chair and a kindergarten teacher at Crookshank Elementary. "The Association of Children's Museums emphasizes that these types of exhibits are consistently among the most popular, based on a poll of children's museums around the country."
"Going through the process of creating this concept plan has given us a good, working selection of possibilities that we can then tailor and adapt when we know what space we will be in," Heather Marks, Vice President and Education Committee Co-Chair, says.