Children’s Museum Water Lab Renovation
The Children’s Museum of Southern Oregon was completing work on their newly renovated museum, when the Portland Children’s Museum provided The Water Lab as a gift to add a new interactive exhibit. Funding to cover the installation cost was all that was needed.
Children’s Museum Water Lab Renovation – Medford, Oregon
The Children’s Museum of Southern Oregon provides an engaging environment where families can explore, play, and discover. Kids of all ages and abilities are inspired and empowered to become critical thinkers, innovators, and life-long learners. The museum serves an estimated 100,000 visitors each year, welcoming individuals from the Rogue Valley and beyond with their many interactive exhibits.
The museum recently relocated to its long-term, beautiful new home at the historic Carnegie building. The newly renovated facility now includes over 7,500 square feet of space on two floors. The museum offers many educational opportunities including a children’s literacy corner, a creative arts and Reggio learning center, a STEM program classroom, and a music and movement center. The collective impact of the new space and additional exhibits are providing increased educational opportunities for visitors and students in the preschool and after school programs. Additionally, it has become a regional attraction included in the economic development plan for Southern Oregon.
As part of the renovation, the museum welcomed a new exhibit - The Water Lab, which was a gift from the Portland Children’s Museum. The Water Lab allows children to design a unique waterway complete with channels, dams, and a whole lot of water. It also lets children explore water and the effects currents and blockages can have on its flow. Costs to make the exhibit operational included resurfacing the exhibit, electric and plumbing upgrades, adding new components, installing the plexiglass feature surrounding the exhibit (also provided by the Portland Children’s Museum) and installing safety features.
This sensory-based science activity is an important component of the educational and interactive exhibit areas that make The Children’s Museum of Southern Oregon a wonderful part of young children’s learning experience in this community. The JTMF Foundation was honored to assist with the costs necessary to bring it to life.
