August 19, 2024 – The Children’s Museum of Illinois has opened a new outdoor exhibit for children featuring musical “plants”.
A new Sound Garden has been installed that includes multiple musical “plants”, centered around a steel drum shaped like a sunflower.
“You can’t miss the burst of color,” says Executive Director Rikki Parker of the new installation. “When our guests discover the sounds they can make, that’s when the fun begins.”
The new garden is the latest addition to the museum’s ongoing initiative to reshape its outdoor spaces. Next up is a prairie restoration of the grounds surrounding their front drive.
“We have such a wonderful landscape surrounding this facility and we are working to take full advantage of it,” says Parker.
The Sound Garden was made possible thanks to the Places and Neighborhood grant from the Heart of Illinois Community Foundation and Decatur Earthmover Credit Union. Additional support came from the Amherst Hardy Foundation.
The very real and not-so-musical foliage around the play area was designed by Rich Starshak at The Garden Path.
The Sound Garden is open for play every day thanks to it being located outside the museum. Children’s Museum of Illinois is open regularly Tuesdays through Saturdays 9:30am to 4:30 pm, and Sundays Noon to 4:30pm.
