Delaware Children’s Museum to offer free-or-reduced admission programs

In less than seven months of operation, the Delaware Children’s Museum in Wilmington has drawn about 88,000 visitors.  It hopes to attract even more families with an expanded program of outreach and free-or-reduced admission initiatives.

“The Children’s Museum is very aggressively dedicated to finding as many ways as possible to make this musem accessible,” said its CEO Julie Van Blarcom.

Officials with the Museum Thursday announced a series of partnerships to defray the normal $ 12 general admission:

-$2 admission between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Community Access Nights.  The first one, Wednesday December 15th, is sponsored by Wilmington City Council.

-“Check It Out!,” a partnership with two branches of the Wilmington Public Library that will allow a family of four to attend the Children’s Museum every six months.

-Free admission for currently-serving members of the military, veterans and a guest between November 26th and December 31st, with more dates to be announced.

-“Passage to Play,” in which donors are able to underwrite school- and community group visits to the Delaware Children’s Museum.

During his visit, 10-year-old Jordan Hunter of Wilmington said he enjoyed the educational programs about money, the stock market, water and energy usage.  His father, Ryan Hunter, looks forward to being able to return.

“To bring it to everyone, those who may not have the opportunity to get here otherwise, it’s a tremendous feat what these people are doing here,” Mr. Hunter said.

The CAPs, or Community Access Programs, were developed with donations from Bank of America, ING Direct, Dow Chemical, and a local family, John and Kelly Shone.