The Children’s Museum – Where Learning & Fun Connect
HAVE YOU HEARD?
We are excited to announce the next step in our mission to inspire lifelong learning among children and their caregivers by providing experiential learning programs covering STEAM, health, nature, and the environment. You may have heard that due to the sale of the property we currently lease, we are relocating our museum operations. To continue to serve our community, we will be moving our Museum and our Preschool to a temporary location while we continue to develop plans for a new permanent site.
In our temporary home, we will focus on supporting our family audience with engaging hands-on exhibits geared towards children ages 2 to 8 years old. Many of our animals will continue to be housed with us and will be looking forward to interacting with our families when we open in our new temporary location.
Members: We will honor an extension to expiration dates of family memberships for the length of time our museum is closed as we facilitate the move. We are working towards an early October re-opening in our temporary home at 180 Mohegan Drive here in West Hartford.
Please note: 180 Mohegan Drive is a newly established address and may not yet be recognized by mapping apps. When inputting directions for GPS, please use 160 Mohegan Drive.
We look forward to this exciting opportunity and building a better future together!
If you have questions about the move or your membership, please reach out to Stephanie Honnell or Jennifer Holmes Weston.
The Children’s Museum is closed for the month of September while we move to 180 Mohegan Drive. Visit us in October in our new, temporary home!
Don’t forget— The Children’s Museum Group includes Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton. The Museum’s move within West Hartford will not affect the Nature Center.
For more info, check out their website HERE.
Adults (including Seniors) – $15.00
Children (ages 2-17) – $15.00
Toddlers (Tots) (under the age of 2) – FREE
Members (Adults, Child, and Tots!) – FREE
Please call (860) 231-2824 with any questions.
Become a member today and receive immediate discounts!
Museum FAQ
Hours of Operation: Currently, the museum is closed as we move to 180 Mohegan Drive West Hartford, CT. We anticipate an early October opening date. Please come back for updates and watch out for our opening day announcement, coming soon! When we reopen, General Admission is available for purchase in person on the date of your visit. Ask us about gift admission!
Masking Guidance: As of March 1, 2022 face masks are not required. However, The Children’s Museum group still strongly recommends and encourages all students, visitors, and employees to continue wearing masks to support the highest level of safety, even with this new policy in place. Our staff will continue to encourage and maintain ample distancing during programs and activities. To maximize the safety and health of our employees, animal demonstrations and other hands-on activities that require close contact with our staff may be limited or reduced. We require frequent hand-washing/sanitizing for all staff, and encourage guests to do the same. The Children’s Museum reserves the right to reinstate masking requirements at any time if the level of positive COVID test results among our employees or student population increases, or the risk of exposure to COVID transmission poses a high risk to our employees, our visitors, and our continued business operations.
Admission: General Admission cost is $15.00 for Adults, Seniors, and all children ages 2 and older. Children under 2 years of age (“tots”) are free, but still must be counted in the number of individuals in your party. Admission is purchased upon arrival on the day of your visit.
Exhibit Availability: In order to keep our guests and staff safe while in the Museum we have configured exhibit and family spaces so that all public areas are on one main level. The upper level of our new, temporary location is reserved for our Preschool, our Education team, and online programming. We have created a flow through the museum that allows guests to enjoy the exhibits and encourages social distancing. We maintain the right to limit occupancy of each exhibit area and other spaces throughout the museum. The Children’s Museum does not have wheelchair access, elevators, or ramps.
Occupancy: In accordance with Museum guidelines and to ensure an enjoyable visit by all of our guests, we have limited museum occupancy. We have the right to refuse “walk-up” or “at door” purchases of tickets if occupancy limits have been reached.
Illness or Exposure to illness: Guests must stay home if they are sick, or if they have been exposed to others who are sick.
General health and safety measures: The Children’s Museum strongly recommends and encourages all students, visitors, and employees to continue wearing masks. Our staff will continue to encourage and maintain ample distancing during programs and activities. To maximize the safety and health of our employees, animal demonstrations and other hands-on activities that require close contact with our staff may be limited or reduced. We require frequent hand-washing/sanitizing for all staff, and encourage guests to do the same. The Children’s Museum reserves the right to reinstate masking requirements at any time if the level of positive COVID test results among our employees or student populations or the risk of exposure to COVID transmission poses a high risk to our employees, our visitors, and our continued business operations. Museum staff reserve the right to ask non-compliant visitors to leave the facility.
Reciprocity and Library Discounts
*ASTC Reciprocal Policy:
Free-Touring ONLY
- Free admission is granted to the two adults named on the card and up to two children under the age of 12 residing in the household.
- Admission is purchased upon arrival at the museum on the day of your visit.
- You will be required to present a photo ID and a valid membership card
- If you do not have proof of ASTC reciprocity when you arrive you will not receive discounted admission.
- The following local restrictions on the use of reciprocal membership apply when visiting The Children’s Museum, West Hartford, and Roaring Brook Nature Center, Canton:
- Based on your science center’s/museum’s location: Science centers and museums located within 90 miles of each other are excluded from the program unless that exclusion is lifted by mutual agreement. 90 miles is measured “as the crow flies” and not by driving distance.
- Based on your residence: To receive Travel Passport Program benefits, you must live more than 90 miles away (“as the crow flies”) from the center/museum you wish to visit. Admissions staff reserve the right to request proof of residence for benefits to apply.
- Please follow this link for additional details on use restrictions http://www.astc.org/passport/
- Curious what a 90-mile radius looks like “as the crow flies”? Please follow this link to our favorite radius tool. Here you are able to see 90 miles around the museum. Next, enter your home address and click ‘new circle’. This will show you an accurate view of your restriction map.
** ACM Reciprocal Policy:
50% off General Admission for up to six (6) people.
- Admission is purchased upon arrival at the museum on the day of your visit.
- Cardholder must be present at the time of admission (ID will be requested)
- If you do not have proof of ACM reciprocity when you arrive you will be asked to pay for any discounted admission.
- The membership card must feature ACM Reciprocal logo
- TCM is not obligated to call other museums to verify membership. The member MUST have his or her card for verification.
For more information, including a list of Reciprocal Museums, please visit the ACM Website.
*** Library Membership:
Did you know that many libraries throughout Connecticut and surrounding areas have their own memberships with museums and nature centers that you can use? The Children’s Museum has over 60 participating libraries! If you have a library card give your library a call and see if they have a pass available.
- Buy one Admission at full price Get one Admission Free. (limit four (4)) (Note: If you bring four people and a library pass you will be paying the full admission cost for two of the four people in your party.)
- **West Hartford Public Library pass only allows one free admission. No BOGO
- If you wish to use a library pass you must present a library membership pass and photo ID upon check-in.
- Admission is purchased upon arrival at the museum on the day of your visit.
Holidays
The Children’s Museum is OPEN on the following holidays:
- New Year’s Day
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- President’s Day
- Spring Vacation
- Good Friday
- Summer Vacation (June 24 – August 31)
- Veterans Day
- Thanksgiving Weekend (Friday – Sunday)
- Christmas Eve (close at 1 pm)
- Winter Vacation
- New Year’s Eve (close at 1 pm)
The Children’s Museum is CLOSED on the first day of Passover, Easter Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Columbus Day, Sukkot, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Prices and hours are subject to change without notice.
(updated 09.04.22)
