Children’s Museum’s Birthday Bash Fundraiser Full of Wonder, Joy and Good Vibes
Children's Museum had their 50th Birthday Bash September 8th celebrating 50 years of providing wonder and joy to visitors of all ages
Photos courtesy of the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus | Adventure Forest at the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus.
On Sept. 8, the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus had its annual Birthday Bash, a fundraiser where guests celebrate the museum’s 50th year of providing wonder, joy and good vibes for visitors of all ages.
The 6 p.m. event, chaired by Kali Handford and Julia Lazure, featured food from several of Denver’s top caterers, as well as beverages, live and silent auctions and music for dancing.
In this golden anniversary year, Michael Yankovich, the museum’s president and chief executive officer, said he and his staff “have been reflecting on our vibrant history while looking toward the future with a focus on extraordinary experiences that champion the wonder and
joy of childhood.”
Gretchen Kerr (museum COO), Judy Pottle (museum board member and 50th anniversary campaign co-chair), Michael Yankovich (museum president and CEO), Sara Carpenter (50th anniversary campaign co-chair) are excited to celebrate the 50th Birthday Bash.
“As a learning organization, we are always working to take things to the next level and not only challenge but also exceed the expectations of what a children’s museum can be and do.”
The museum had its start in 1973 when a group of parents, educators and other professionals assembled two traveling exhibitions to introduce Coloradans to their dream of creating an interactive cultural and educational institution for children and families. Their effort was so well received that one thing became clear: It was time to give these mobile displays a permanent home.
The Art Studio at the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus.
So, in very short order, a building on Bannock Street, just south of downtown, was leased, renovated and transformed into the Children’s Museum of Denver. Within months of its January
1975 opening, attendance had soared to the point where there was no doubt that a larger facility was needed.
In 1984, the museum moved to its current home, the 9-acre Marsico Campus along the west bank of the South Platte River in Denver’s Jefferson Park neighborhood.
Growth didn’t stop there. In 2015, what is now the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus, which served 312,000 children and their families in fiscal year 2022, underwent a $16.1 million extensive expansion that doubled its public space and included seven new exhibits.
One of them is Bloom, a nature-inspired space designed for children up to age 3 and their caregivers. It was designed with the latest knowledge, insights and research into how children
develop and is filled with whimsical art from local artists.
A second new exhibit, opening later this fall, is Gallery Uno. It is what Yankovich describes as “an exciting, rotating exhibit space intended to spark imaginative play, creativity and joy.”
CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF DENVER AT MARSICO CAMPUS
2121 Children’s Museum Drive, Denver
Joanne Davidson is a frequent contributor to Colorado Expression.
