August 20, 2024 – The Children’s Museum of Illinois has announced that the all-new Central Climber at Children’s Museum of Illinois is now open for play.
The project had begun taking shape pre-pandemic and extends from the first floor all the way to the ceiling of the second. Guests have multiple ways to get from one floor to the other—climbing, crawling, or simply taking the stairs.
Inside the climber include interactive experiences including flying a plane, going inside a moon, or taking a whirling slide back down to the bottom.
Parker says the project is a testament to things happening for a reason. “When the project began back in 2018, a small manufacturing company in Wisconsin was brought on board,” says Parker. “That company produced some of the components for the climber but they did not make it through the pandemic. That allowed us the opportunity to bring the project fully back to our community.”
Community partners include Architectural Expressions LLC, who engineered the structure, and O’Shea
Builders, who oversaw the installation. Working together with museum staff they created a world-class
exhibit from a collection of parts and illustrations.
“Getting this exhibit over the finish line has been both agonizing and exhilarating,” says Parker. “Now that
it is open it brings such a burst of activity and joy to the museum. It really changes the way the museum
feels as a whole.” She adds, “Knowing how much heart is present in this structure is icing on the cake.”
Children’s Museum of Illinois is open regularly Tuesdays through Saturdays 9:30am to 4:30 pm, and
Sundays Noon to 4:30pm.
