Canadian Children's Museum

The Canadian Children's Museum (CCM) is located inside the Canadian Museum of Civilization, in Gatineau, Quebec. The CCM is among the most popular museums in the country, attracting about half a million visitors each year. [ [http://www.civilization.ca/media/show_pr_e.asp?ID=1129 Civilization.ca - Media ] ] It is also Canada’s largest exhibition centre (3,000 square metres) designed specifically for children up to age 14 and their adult companions. Most of the space is devoted to the museum’s permanent exhibition, [http://www.civilization.ca/mce_ccm/childeng.html "The Great Adventure"] . The CCM also presents a changing line-up of [http://www.civilization.ca/mce_ccm/expoe.asp special exhibitions] curated internally or acquired from other institutions.

The Children's Museum is managed by the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation, a federal Crown Corporation that is also responsible for the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the Canadian War Museum, the Canadian Postal Museum, and the [http://www.civilization.ca/vmnf/vmnfe.asp Virtual Museum of New France] .

The Great Adventure

The museum describes its permanent exhibition, "The Great Adventure", as an interactive, intercultural journey of discovery. With a museum-issued passport and a good imagination, visitors can travel to Nigeria, Japan, India, Mexico, Indonesia and other international destinations. They can visit a kid’s café, stroll through a market bazaar, trek across a desert, and help unload a cargo ship. They can also step aboard a brightly decorated bus from Pakistan, which is perhaps the museum's most beloved artifact. The CCM says its overall goal is to provide a fun, hands-on environment in which children can learn about the world and its cultural diversity.

Collections

The Children's Museum has a permanent collection of more than 15,000 items for use in its exhibitions and programs. The items include artifacts, toys, games, clothing, art, photographs and other objects from around the world that relate to the lives of children, past and present.

Affiliations

The CCM is a member of the international Association of Children's Museums, and the only Canadian member of the [http://www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/ymec/index.html Youth Museums Exhibit Collaborative] .

History

The Children’s Museum opened in 1989 when the Museum of Civilization moved into its current building on the north bank of the Ottawa River. The CCM has expanded twice since then, first in 1994 and again in 2007. At the end of July 2007 it welcomed its [http://www.civilization.ca/media/show_pr_e.asp?ID=1129 eight-millionth visitor] .

Notes

External links

* [http://www.civilization.ca/mce_ccm/mce_ccme.asp Canadian Children's Museum official website]