TRAVERSE CITY — Relocated, renamed, reprogrammed — Great Lakes Children’s Museum enters a new chapter in inspiring lifelong learning.
Since its 2001 founding, the museum has cultivated curiosity in 645,000 children and adults through hands-on, interactive exhibits and programs. Now the museum is growing up, expanding space and opportunities for young people and families.
Renamed The Curiosity Place and relocated to an 8,000 square foot space in Grand Traverse Mall, the move presents a launch pad for envisioning future development.
“This space reimagines what we are,” said GLCM executive director Tracie MacPherson. “We’ll try things out and see what the community thinks.”
Relocation from its current Elmwood Township site is expected to take place in mid-October.
The move allows the Freshwater Research & Innovation Center to break ground at the site in late 2025, where it will provide space for education, research and innovation in commercialization in marine technology.
Larger by 3,000 square feet than the existing museum, the new location provides greater gallery space and double the program space for supporting a host of new learning activities for children from early childhood to age 13.
“We’ve had our eye on possibilities and providing quality programs for over a year,” said museum educator Anne Drake.
A few favorite museum exhibits, including the popular water table, will make the move. In efforts to broaden programming, science activities become a fresh focus.
The Climate Action Heroes exhibit will help children understand how they and their families can make a difference. The NoMI Maze teaches visitors about area wildlife, while a space exhibit will shine light on science beyond the planet.
Engineering is another new focus. Curiosity Place visitors will be introduced to the engineering process from design and build to testing creations.
A playhouse will keep visitor experiences novel. It will offer changing activities throughout the year. When The Curiosity Place opens its doors, kids can explore the playhouse as a barn highlighting harvest time. It will later transform into a train station teaching how the rails helped Traverse City grow. Next, the playhouse will invite youngsters to take on the role of veterinarian.
The mall’s expanded space will allow The Curiosity Place to host seven STEM-based summer camp opportunities in 2025.
The Power of Play Store will take advantage of a larger retail area to increase its lines to include eco-friendly products and more Create a Critter stuffed animal options.
“Toys will expand on what we do at the museum and connect it to the outside world,” said store manager Michelle Sehl.
The new boutique-like store will be open for holiday shopping. All profits support center operations and reduced admission for military families and others.
Funding from the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, the Art and Mary Schmuckal Foundation and the Biederman Foundation support GLCM’s relocation project. Additional funding underway will also support the expansion.
MacPherson described the mall location as a creative laboratory to research long-term ideas for a future permanent site. She said a wish list for a new, even larger, space ideally would include an outdoor education area and art space as part of a cultural campus where families can gather, learn, play and bond.