August 21, 2019
“Environment and culture is the foundation of the new LCM and is woven into each of the five new galleries.”
The new Louisiana Children’s Museum in City Park is the sophisticated, modern, and thoughtful kind of experience New Orleans families, and tourists, deserve — designed and built with the whole family — from toddlers to grandparents — in mind.
The result is a new space on par with other children’s museums in larger cities.
During a tour with LCM’s CEO, Julia Bland, Nola Family enjoyed a recent sneak peek of the upgrades — ahead of the August 31 grand opening. We also spoke with Maeryta Medrand, founder and CEO of Gyroscope, the design firm behind the new exhibits.
To prepare a brand new LCM, the design team, which also includes firms Mithūn and Waggonner & Ball, set up interviews with local children and simply asked them what they liked about the previous location on Julia Street and what they didn’t.
“It was more than just a design — more like an investigation,” Medrand said.
A suggestion from a 9-year-old led to a sound exhibit. Flat on the ground is a large board sectioned into 64 squares over a map of New Orleans. Each square, when a red marker is placed on top, will play a sound that was recorded in that specific location of the city.
“I think the parents of these children were surprised. They never knew their kids could think about these things — about environment and culture.”
New Memories at the LCM
Environment and culture is the foundation of the new LCM and is woven into each of the five new galleries — Play With Me, Follow That Food, Dig Into Nature, Make Your Mark, and Move With the River.
Play With Me: The first ground-floor gallery is specifically designed for infants and toddlers. While children are exploring the Sensory Lagoon, Peek-a-Boo Puppet Theater, or the Early Literacy Sensory Wall, their parents can learn about how they are their children’s
Follow That Food: Also located on the ground floor, and is one of the largest galleries. It is here that parents will first feel the pull of nostalgia over the old LCM on Julia Street. Follow That Food includes a revamped market, including a mini version of the “Mr. Okra” fruit and vegetable cart, complete with recordings of his “sales pitches.”
Dig into Nature: The Louisiana Gulf Coast region and all of its natural resources takes center stage here. At the Nature Sharing Station, visiting nature experts will share their knowledge on all things found outside or will discuss nature items that kids have brought with them.
Make Your Mark: The second floor gallery celebrates New Orleans’ artistic, architectural, musical, historical, and cultural heritage. The Jammin’ House exhibit resembles a New Orleans nightclub, complete with a stage and real instruments.
Move with the River: The Mighty Mississippi roars through this gallery, all the way from Lake Itasca, Minnesota, through the Port of New Orleans, and finally to the Gulf of Mexico. A large-scale model of the river allows kids to get a little wet while learning how New Orleans uses engineering to manage water.
A Long Time Coming
While City Park seems like an obvious spot, it was a long time coming. LCM tried three different times to move to City Park, Bland said. Other design firms’ plans were either too big or too expensive. Finally, after a children’s museum expo in Portland, Oregon, Bland, Medrand, and other members of the design team hunkered down in a hotel room, and armed with markers and paper, drew possible plans.
“I called it ‘insane optimism,’” Medrand said.
After 33 years at the Julia Street location in the Warehouse District, the LCM closed its doors at the end of July. The new City Park campus sits on an 8.5 acres in the first LEED-certified green and sustainable building on the grounds.
Not everything has changed, though. The new location will still feature some of the museum’s more popular exhibits, including the bubble maker, but redesigned so that children who use wheelchairs can surround themselves inside a giant bubble, too.
In addition to the indoor galleries, the museum will include a literacy center that’s free to the public, a parent-teacher resource center, a sensory garden, a floating classroom, an edible garden, and the Acorn, a Dickie Brennan & Co. cafe.
But there’s still a whole lot more to explore. The brand spanking new LCM opens to the public on August 31 at noon.
On September 1 and September 2, the museum will have extended hours, 9:30 am–7:30 pm. On September 3, the museum will return to its normal operating hours: Tuesdays through Saturdays, 9:30 am–4:30 pm, and Sundays, 11:30 am–4:30 pm. General admission tickets are $14 for adults and children 12 months and older.
