6 Great Children's Museums of Wisconsin

If you and your family need a fun and educational outing but are on a tight budget, consider
visiting one of Wisconsin's children's museums. Visit a children's museum on rainy days or
any other day to spend quality time with your young one in a hands-on environment.

Many museums have quiet hours or special programs for people with sensory processing
disorders. The interactive displays and programming of a children's museum make it a popular
place for birthday parties. Continue reading for a thrilling new experience.

Above and Beyond Children's Museum

902 N. Eighth St

Since 1999 the Above & Beyond Children's Museum (ABCM), a non-profit organization, has
positively changed thousands of children's lives from its landmark site at 902 N. 8th Street. The
museum is in a three-story building with the prow and stern of a ship protruding from its sides,
making it stand out from the crowd.

You will also find a fire station with a fire truck and an incredible PVC pipe organ that stretches
15 feet in length here. The Urban and Children's Garden on the building's north side is full of
blooming flowers and vegetables in the spring and summer.

The purple octopus playground includes a wheelchair transfer deck and other ADA-compliant
inclusive fun. The museum also has special hours for individuals with sensory sensitivities.
Local families can choose from membership options, host birthday parties, and even rent out
the museum after hours.
Atlas Science Center

425 West Water St

The Paper Museum first welcomed visitors in February 2005. The former Paper Discovery
Center in downtown Appleton has a variety of hands-on exhibits and activities that you and
your family can explore the science and history of papermaking through.

Upstairs in the back of the building are regularly scheduled interactive STEAM presentations.
Your child can participate in periodic hands-on workshops at the Atlas Science Center, where
they will create and take home a science-themed project.

A visit to the Atlas Science Center provides an educational opportunity that is both exciting and
practical for the business world by combining science, art, and history. Experience the STEAM
Hub, a stage, temporary and permanent exhibits, and more!

Baraboo Children's Museum

1212 8th St.

The 11,000-square-foot Children's Museum is a beautiful destination for families in the scenic
Baraboo region of Wisconsin. Your children will have a blast exploring the museum and
learning new things during the weekly art clinics, STEM workshops, and scavenger hunts.

A railway room with a massive wooden train model that you can ride is also part of the
exhibition schedule. A traveling circus exhibit features carnival mirrors, costumes, and
interactive displays to celebrate the history of the Ringling Brothers and their impact on
Baraboo.
Kids can learn about farming and the history of the region by exploring a farm-themed exhibit
complete with a garden they can help harvest, a grocery store, and pedal tractors they can use to
get around.

Betty Brinn Children's Museum

929 E. Wisconsin Ave

The Betty Brinn Children's Museum in downtown Milwaukee is an excellent place for kids of
all ages to run around and discover. Through play and creative, hands-on learning experiences,
the museum encourages children of all backgrounds to marvel and explore the world around
them.

If you're looking for a place to get your creative juices flowing and work with others, Be A
Maker space is the place to go. Try out Pocket Park, another interactive exhibit tailored to the
requirements of children ages four and under.

In displays like Home Town, a small community is equipped with a TV station, a grocery store,
and a Harley-Davidson dealership. Your children will have a blast playing at being adults by
taking on roles like bus driver and post office mail carrier.

Play in the Cloud is a collection of online creative and cultural courses taught in real-time by
Instructors from all over the world in this incredibly interactive environment. Additionally,
there is free admission for families every third Thursday of the month between 9:30 am to 7 pm.

Black Earth Children's Museum

1131 Mills St.

The Native American ecosystem features tools and baby dolls. At the same time, the Bambino
Barn provides a soft block, stuffed animal packed Bambino Barn, a dramatic play area, and a
tiny mart grocery store perfect for the littlest visitors.

Children slightly older will like the elevated tree house, complete with a climbing wall, fishing
pond, faux two-story marsh overlook, and slide and cargo-net bridge. There are many activities
for the whole family, from musical workshops for toddlers to skill-building seminars for high
schoolers.

Building for Kids

100 W. College Ave

There is no better place to kick off lifelong learning than Appleton's museum. There is a lot to
see in this two-story, 31,000-square-foot structure full of displays. The exhibits span three stories
and include water tables, a painting studio, and role-playing areas.

Here in the Building for Kids, they have a wide variety of interactive exhibits for kids of all ages,
from a real fire truck to a doll hospital to a convenience store to an art studio to a STEM
innovation lab.

The Discovery Tree is the most excellent part of the museum since it has live animals, including
a bearded dragon and a bunch of birds that kids can interact with. The Happy Baby Garden is
explicitly designed for the youngest visitors and has several tree forts and nets to climb through.
Visitors who could use a break from all the stimulation can use the quiet area provided. The
room is dimly lit and has a rocking chair for nursing newborns and sensory-friendly toys and
books. The displays are accessible for those using wheelchairs.

Central Wisconsin Children's Museum

1100 Main St

On the main street, you'll discover the Central Wisconsin Children's Museum in the heart of
Stevens Point. This historic building has two stories and is home to exhibitions such as the
Simple Machines, Down on the farm, and the Robin's Nest, designed specifically for toddlers
and crawlers.

The museum has exhibits and activities designed to foster self-assurance, competence, and
originality in children of all ages. The Happy Teeth Dental Clinic at the Central Wisconsin
Children's Museum is one of its most impressive features. It comes with a dentist chair, tooth "x-
rays," and lab coats.

The "Life in a pine log" exhibit is another excellent way to teach your kids about animal habitats.
A comfortable rocking rocker, a changing table, and a selection of baby-friendly books and toys
are all available in the dedicated baby care area. The museum has a Create-it! Art Room, an
Exploration Gallery, and Imagination Stations for kids to use their imaginations.

Children's Museum of Eau Claire

220 S. Barstow St.

Learning can be a blast at the Children's Museum in downtown Eau Claire, with activities like
riding a moon rover and playing life-size chess. Several hands-on exhibits make this one of the
top family-friendly activities in Eau Claire.
Featuring a massive water play area, an imaginative city, and a play construction zone, this
museum has everything a young visitor could desire from a children's museum. There's a replica
of the digestive tract for your children to explore by climbing, sliding, and crawling.

The Waterworks and Construction Zone will be massive hits with your kids. The Family Farm
and Under the Wisconsin Skies are two displays focusing on Wisconsin culture and geography.

Dinosaur lovers will enjoy the Children's Museum of Eau Claire's new structure, which has a
fossil dig.

The sensory space for children experiencing anxiety provides a space where kids may go if
they're feeling overwhelmed, process their emotions, and then return to the exhibits in a more
positive frame of mind.

Children's Museum of Fond du Lac

75 W. Scott St.

The Fond du Lac Children's Museum features interactive exhibits designed to spark creativity
and an interest in learning among its young visitors. Many different play exhibits will provide
your child with real-world experience in potential future professions, such as pizza making,
vehicle repairs, working on a family farm, firefighting, and many others!

The Great Wall of China, a radio station, a shadow safari, and many more are all on display.
Once inside, you must test your mettle on the bull and bear market, a mock stock exchange! The
museum provides noise-canceling headphones and other aids for a sensory-friendly experience.

Younger guests can enjoy the Great Toddler Reef's suspended jellyfish, seashell island, and
bubble mirrors. At the same time, older children can get creative in Wagener's Workshop, a
maker space stocked with building materials and two friendly robots.
Children's Museum of Green Bay

1230 Bay Beach Road

The Green Bay Children's Museum is a charming one-story facility ideal for preschoolers and
elementary school students on the banks of the Fox River in the heart of the city's commercial
core. Near the museum's entrance is a big motor room and a large arts and crafts room. Children
may learn digestion by sliding down a big tongue at a museum display.

At the Green Bay Children's Museum, visitors may enjoy a dinner set in the '50s, complete with
a jukebox, jugglers, and hula hoops. A vet clinic complete with a microscope and medical
equipment is also available, as is a garage with tools, spare auto parts, and room to pretend to
work on cars.

The fire station features a pumper wagon with a hose, a fire simulator, and a fire pool. The
recyclable art studio, the literacy-building Lego sets, and the outdoor discovery center all help
kids hone their motor skills while having fun. There is a sensory trail for families to walk down
and take in the sights, smells, and sounds of the Discovery Center.

Children's Museum of la Crosse

207 Fifth Ave. S,

The Children's Museum in La Crosse, Wisconsin, is a top attraction for families with young
children. A dinosaur maze, a working crane, and a giant block equipped with an "Imagination
Playground" are just a few interactive exhibits on all three levels of this La Crosse museum.

Some examples are a fire engine display where children can dress up as firefighters, a dinosaur
maze where they can test their knowledge of prehistoric animals, and a construction crane where
they can act out various roles as builders.
The Luckey Climber is a combination jungle gym and work of art that your children will love
exploring. There is also a Mississippi River display where kids may operate trains, float boats,
and control the water flow through dams and locks.

Accessible to visitors using wheelchairs, the museum also offers backpacks stocked with sensory
aids such as timers, ear muffs, and fidgets for children on the autistic spectrum who may benefit
from them.

Discovery World

500 N. Harbor Dr.

The whole family may enjoy 120,000 square feet of hands-on science and technology displays at
Discovery World. Innovation Planet. Physics & You, Les Paul's House of Sound, and The Music
Factory are hands-on science exhibits with educational and entertaining activities.

Discover fascinating themes, including robotics, mechanics, and boats. In the museum, you can
participate in various exciting and educational programs, such as tours of the design lab and a
virtual reality demonstration.

Visit the Reiman Aquarium and sail the Great Lakes in a replica of a 19th-century schooner, the
S/V Denis Sullivan, while taking sailing lessons. You and your kids can explore machines and
physics and get lots of practice innovating and designing.

Explore Children's Museum

1433 W Main St
TheExplore Children's Museum in Sun Prairie is a local institution that promotes classroom
environments that inspire students to engage in critical, creative, collaborative, communicative,
fun, and cross-disciplinary thinking.

Exhibits at the Explore Children's Museum are both permanent and temporary. There is an
emphasis on helping kids develop their interests and abilities in various fields, including the
visual and performing arts, ecology, science, physical education, and potential careers.

The Explore Children's Museum in Sun Prairie has activities and exhibits for kids of all interests
and ages. This brand-new museum has interactive exhibits, from a treehouse to arts and crafts
materials to a section for repairing vehicles.

Greater Wausau Children's Museum

10101 Market St

In the summer of 2015, theWausau Children's Museum opened as a "museum without walls,"
hosting weekly programs that encouraged community members of all ages to participate in
creative, interactive play for learning.

Active play, hands-on science, sensory play, hosting birthday parties, music, technology, art, and
engineering, are just some of the activities that take place at these special events. STEAM
Saturdays, Kids in the Kitchen, Preschool Science, and Mother-Son Dance, are some of the
fantastic annual and weekly programs here.

Children can play while climbing and constructing. The design allows you to keep an eye on
your happy child without constantly chasing after them. Whether you're looking for a place
where children can have fun while learning, look no further than the Greater Wausau Children's
Museum.

Madison Children's Museum

Just a few blocks from Madison's picturesque capitol square, the non-profit Madison Children's
Museum awaits your visit! It has a wide range of hands-on displays, including scientific, artistic,
medical, historical, and other areas of interest to children.

The museum features several popular exhibits, including one that teaches children about the
environmental effects of rubbish and another that introduces them to the joys of sustainable
gardening.

The museum also features special events and programs in addition to permanent displays. The
Log Cabin, Community Concourse, and Art Studio are just a few themed places open to guests.

The water dome allows young children to dump, pour, and splash water around with abandon.
Check out their rooftop garden, home to exotic animals like the bearded dragon, rotating
adventures, and a breathtaking view of Capitol City.

Northwoods Children's Museum

346 West Division St

Twenty-four outstanding exhibits are available for children to explore and learn from at the
Northwoods Children's Museum. The beautiful Northwoods are home to various attractions, such
as a ranger station, a pioneer cottage, a giant loom, and more.

Children can practice their shopping and social skills in a small grocery store while a Lite-Brite
wall, a bike-powered turbine, and a winding maze teach them about renewable energy. Small
children can explore their shadows and encase themselves in enormous bubbles.
Visit the colossal Bubble Station, get creative in the Art Studio, or try on some vintage clothes at
Grandma's Attic. Put down the phones and tablets and have genuine, hands-on group fun while
exploring the interactive exhibits.

Wrap Up

The exhibits in Wisconsin museums provide plenty of fun, interactive ways for kids of all ages to
learn through imaginative play. Visit one ofMilwaukee's family-friendly museums, where your
children will have a blast without realizing they're learning!