By: Jenna Kelly Check out the video of our interview with the Madison Children's Museum here!
While visiting Wisconsin, we got the chance to stop by a pretty incredible place right in the heart of Madison. That’s right; I’m talking about the Madison Children’s Museum! Talking with the museum’s Executive Director Ruth gave us some great insight into the establishment’s mission. The museum truly made history in terms of sustainability when it created the first all natural non-toxic exhibits in 1999. At this point, they weren’t really even thinking of “going green.” The people contributing to the museum were merely concerned with children’s health. As Ruth says, children’s immune systems aren’t as strong as adults’ and playing in a place where many children will be sharing everything; health is an important thing to keep in mind. The staff therefore decided to use natural, non-toxic materials that are not only beneficial to our children, but help our planet!
Ruth talks a lot about the “creative staff devoted to sustainability.” The crew at the museum is constantly thinking of new ways to repurpose, reuse, and recycle. All sorts of odd items contribute to the museum exhibits’ structures including an old pinball machine, a dentist chair, parts of an old car, and, listen up all you iphone users—a rotary phone! Ruth points out that these things are a blast from the past for parents and novel creations to their kids. This paradigm shift in everyday objects gives a really neat twist to the family museum experience.
The executive director makes a really good point during her interview what she notes that their museum has “the best possible target audience” for promoting sustainability. Children are the most impressionable audience and to demonstrate to them first-hand, and in a truly interactive way that we can live in a different way is genius! Showing children how to be fun, creative, and inventive all while remaining sustainable really brings the green message to its roots.
Ruth notes that the Madison Children’s Museum goes “beyond green.” Unlike other museums that are trying to go green, importing things like bamboo, Madison thinks of the fossil fuel it would take to get the bamboo to the US. The Madison Children’s Museum uses natural and local products. They use Wisconsin-made products whenever possible. Involving local artists and even all of the Wisconsin schools is their goal.
From the top of the museum’s roof, an unexpected location for the interview, Ruth explains just what it means that the museum is right in the center of Madison. This location, known as Capitol Square, has access to all major bus lines, commercial and civic live, and truly is a “gateway” for the city. Madison was previously without a children’s museum, but now they have it! Ruth mentions that even if you live in the area and don’t personally use the museum, you can appreciate it as a reminder of the city’s values. Madison has a commitment to the children, its future inhabitants, and this is certainly a reassuring notion. 
Another really incredible means of outreach that the museum participates in is a family access program. This program allows anyone on any form of public assistance to be admitted for a dollar, and/or to attain a family membership for a year for just eight dollars. The museum really wants to break down barriers. In addition, the staff travels to Head Start programs to get other community and ethnic groups to come and experience the museum for what may be their first time.
Truly revolutionizing what it means to be sustainable, the Madison Children’s Museum is a special place. Beginning at the beginning, children are infused with promising and helpful messages about how to construct their future.
Be sure to visit their website: madisonchildrensmuseum.org.
