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Monday, February 18, 2008 - 1:05 PM CST

Wonderscope, Children's Museum consider merger

Kansas City Business Journal

Wonderscope Children's Museum and The Children's Museum of Kansas City signed a letter of intent to merge.

The organizations will explore combining both boards and have proposed the name Wonderscope Children's Museum of Kansas City for the combined entity.

...

Christine Hamele, a spokeswoman for the organizations, said Monday that both expect the organizations to remain operational in their current locations. The Children's Museum is in the Indian Springs Shopping Center. Wonderscope is based in Shawnee.

Each organization has 20 employees, Hamele said. Wonderscope's employee count increases to 35 in the summer.

The organizations had been in talks about a possible merger for the past three months, Hamele said.

"Kansas City is a growing city with a commitment to supporting the arts, science, technology and education," Mary Abbott, The Children's Museum of Kansas City's chairwoman, said in a release. "A combined children's museum would bring tremendous value to Kansas City by strengthening the educational resources available to young families and by creating a new destination-based tourist attraction."

I haven't been to the Children's Museum but will take a group of kiddos this summer if still employed by this organization. Has anyone been?

it would be nice if they could merge into one location at the new indian springs center.

Sussudio wrote: I haven't been to the Children's Museum but will take a group of kiddos this summer if still employed by this organization. Has anyone been?

the indian springs one i have been. i did a small gingerbread display for them, gratis, a few years ago. small facility, but they work hard to use what they have and rely HEAVILY on volunteers.

not alot there, but for the price they have it is not too bad.

Wasn't there a place at Crown Center called Kaleidoscope?  Is it still there?  Is it part of Wonderscope?

AllThingsKC wrote: Wasn't there a place at Crown Center called Kaleidoscope?  Is it still there?  Is it part of Wonderscope?

It's still there. It's run by Hallmark.

I guess our best hope at this point is the Hornets.  We may get a better idea this week- they have home games on Wednesday and Friday.  If they come out of the All-Star weekend with low attendance, there should be a good chance of their leaving. If they show up, we will have to see how long that lasts.

AllThingsKC wrote: Wasn't there a place at Crown Center called Kaleidoscope?  Is it still there?  Is it part of Wonderscope?

Not technically in Crown Center either.  It's up above and south of the Skating Rink in the Hallmark Corporate area, although you can reach it through CC.

phxcat wrote: I guess our best hope at this point is the Hornets.  We may get a better idea this week- they have home games on Wednesday and Friday.  If they come out of the All-Star weekend with low attendance, there should be a good chance of their leaving. If they show up, we will have to see how long that lasts.

That's where that post went!  I should know better than to open up multiple windows on this forum!

I haven't been personally but my wife and kids have been to Wonderscope on many occassions for birthdays and just their own activity.  I don't believe they've been to the Children's Museum, but I could be wrong.

From the last line: "creating a new destination-based tourist attraction."

I wonder what and where they are planning the new attraction.

Because I work with kids on a regular basis, I think KC needs a lot of kid friendly adventures open on Mondays. This is my personal gripe with planning a Summer Program for at-risk youth with field trips on Mondays. Everything in KC that's kid-friendly is closed! Well, not everything... 

As I get older, I find it more and more important to have family activities. I can list off a thousand bars and restaurants, but I would like to see more interactive attractions for kids. Union Station, Kaleidoscope, Deanna Rose Farmstead, Cave Springs, The Children's Museum, Steamboat Arabia, Peace Pavillion are all great destinations, but you can only take the kiddos there so many times before it gets old. At least with Union Station, the exhibits often change.

PumpkinStalker wrote: Not technically in Crown Center either.  It's up above and south of the Skating Rink in the Hallmark Corporate area, although you can reach it through CC.

Isn't 'Crown Center' the name for the entire complex owned by the Hall family? (not just the mall)

Midtownkid wrote: Isn't 'Crown Center' the name for the entire complex owned by the Hall family? (not just the mall)

last time i checked, hence the names hyatt regency crown center, westin crown center, crown center shops, and so on.

I guess I think of CC as the mall aspect.  But sure.     

PumpkinStalker wrote: Not technically in Crown Center either.  It's up above and south of the Skating Rink in the Hallmark Corporate area, although you can reach it through CC.

That's in Crown Center.  The whole thing is called Crown Center.  Are you thinking specifically of the shopping mall part of Crown Center?  That part is called "The Crown Center Shops."

I'd love to see this new combined Children's Museum land in downtown KCK.  It's exactly the kind of smaller-scale regional amenity that could pump some life into the area and also add to a centralized destination in greater downtown.  Imagine this and the new aqaurium at the Gateway being dropped into a sweet new complex down there...it would turn the perception of downtown KCK around overnight, at least to daytime visitors.  Is there any chance of this happening, what with the CM of KC having WyCo ties or will this place almost certainly head off to the spacious green pastures of SoJoCo?

 

That's interesting.  Personally, I hope they don't combine into just one location.  I haven't been to the Children's Museum yet, but we have been to Wonderscope a couple times and each time it's been a little too crowded, and my son (18 months) ends up getting trampled over.  I wouldn't be opposed to having a third one open, though.

I guess you have to outweigh the benefits of combining. If they did combine, they would need a bigger facility.

Looks like its moving to the KCMO Side near Oak and Red Bridge
https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/a ... 89805.html

Like just about every other cultural attraction in the area, wish this was going somewhere in the core. Would be nice to see Wonderscope grow into a legit children's museum, something KC currently lacks (Rabbit Hole in NKC looks very cool too).

Prairiefire Museum is another recent cultural facility that I feel is underused/appreciated as a result of being tucked in it's distant little corner of the metro...