Children's museum moving downtown

By ERIN NICHOLES, Chronicle Staff Writer

Inquiring young minds eager to learn about everything from bubbles to blood may have been sad to see the Children's Museum of Bozeman spend its last day in the Gallatin Valley Mall this week.

But they won't be frowning long, as the museum announced Friday it is moving to a new, larger home downtown.

The museum will open Sept. 8 at 234 E. Babcock Street, said president Nicki Young.

The museum will be leasing space downtown after spending nearly a year at the mall for free, because the mall wants to rent the space to a business, Young said.

The museum will occupy the former home of the American Computer Museum, which moved to 2304 N. Seventh Ave., said Barbara Keremedjiev, director of the computer museum.

"We moved because we felt that for our purposes it was a better space for us because we wanted to be closer to the Interstate," Keremedjiev said.

The Babcock Street building is 6,000 square feet, twice the size of the children's museum's mall space, which gives it room for a series of art and science workshops for children, Young said.

"We are going to start offering afterschool programs for kids ... and a morning program for the younger children," Young said. "The details are still being worked out."

Eventually, the museum hopes to add more interactive exhibits along the lines of existing ones, which include a giant bubble-blowing machine, art benches and the "Body Business" station where children can examine real X-rays and blood.

But because the museum must pay rent at its new home, people can expect changes to the $1 admission fee charged in the past, Young said.

"I know we're going to raise our rates slightly to help pay for it," she said.

Adults interested in helping the museum get off to a healthy financial start can attend a fund-raiser Oct. 25 at Zoot Enterprises, Young said.

The "Transformation Celebration" will include a live and silent auction, and people are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes.

Big Sky Carvers of Belgrade has donated unfinished pieces of wooden carvings for the fund-raiser, which the museum "gave to artists around the state and they are transforming them into something new," Young said.

The finished pieces will be auctioned at the fund-raiser, and people can place silent bids on everything from vacations to facials.

Call the museum at 587-1723 for more information.

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