Miami Children's Museum
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In September 2003, after 12 years of planning, we opened our new $25 million home on Watson Island near Downtown Miami.
Over the past twenty years, we relocated and expanded our space several times in response to public involvement. In the mid-90's, planning was initiated among community leaders for the construction our very own stand-alone building. Miami Children's Museum was established in 1983 as the Miami Youth Museum. Our first home was a 2,000 square foot facility located in a shopping center in West Kendall.
Key Events in the Museum's History
- 1983 Miami Youth Museum was founded by forethinking community leaders.
- 1985 The 2,000 square-foot Miami Youth Museum opens in a mall on Sunset Drive. Visitorship is 9,301.
- 1986 The Museum moves to a 4,000 square-foot facility in South Miami's Bakery Centre. Visitorship is 10,525.
- 1987 Visitorship climbs to 18,871. The museum institutes its Community Outreach Program, which reaches 137,100 people.
- 1988 The museum increases its exhibition space by 2,000 square feet and visitorship grows to 26,165. Community outreach is expanded.
- 1990 The museum enlarges again, by 3,000 square feet and visitorship grows to 35,929. Community outreach serves 899,000 people.
- 1991 The museum reaches visitor capacity of 47,686, where it remains for five years and the museum receives its first State of Florida Cultural Facilities grant.
- 1992 The museum's board plans to build a new facility. A capital campaign is initiated with a $1 million lead gift. The museum receives a prestigious Institute of Museum and Library Services grant.
- 1994 The museum receives additional State of Florida Cultural Facilities grants, now totaling nearly $2 million and the capital campaign continues to grow.
- 1996 Pending demolition of the Bakery Centre forces the museum to move temporarily to the Miracle Center as fund raising and planning for the new facility continues.
- 1996 A careful search and a partnership with Miami Dade County lead the museum's board to secure a site at the Vizcaya Metro-Rail Station.
- 1997 The Miami Youth Museum changes its name to Miami Children's Museum to distinguish it from its precursor and clarify its scope.
- 2000 Neighborhood opposition and the threat of protracted litigation caused the Board of Directors of Miami Children's Museum to seek a new site for the building of its community treasure. A Leadership Committee to identify a new site was born, chaired by Alan Potamkin and Norman Braman, which raised $8.2 million by the end of 2000.
- 2001 The plans to build Miami Children's Museum on a magnificent waterfront site on Watson Island were finalized.
- 2002 The State of Florida awarded $500,000 to the museum, bringing funding from the State to $2.4 million dollars. The campaign achieved over 90% of the goal, $16.1 million in the first six months of the year.
- 2003 The Miami Children's Museum (MCM) opened in a new 56,500 square foot facility on Watson Island, near Downtown Miami.
- 2005 We received a grant of $500,000 from the State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs to support the build-out of our Charter School area, adding a total of 10 new classrooms to our facilities.
- 2006 In order to accommodate educational classroom programs, the build-out of the facility was completed, adding 10 educational classrooms.
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