Preparing for a new place to play

FINDLAY — Youngsters will have a new place to play once the Children's Museum of Findlay reopens. The museum closed its former location inside the Findlay Village Mall in January due to the planned partial demolition of the mall. Since then, the nonprofit has been searching for a new home while also hosting various pop-up events and community activities to stay engaged with families. In July, it was announced that the museum had entered into active negotiations for a new site. The lease on the building at 11600 County Road 99 was signed in November. "Now we're on to looking at the renovations and getting all set and getting moving," said Executive Director Allison Behm-Kemmere. "I have big dreams of what I want to do, but we have to get open first." The 10,000-square-foot structure has formerly served as a building for the Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation, Inc., as an indoor soccer facility and a fire truck repair. Most recently, it was an furniture outlet store, according to Behm-Kemmere. It's been vacant since October 2024. Sizewise, she said, it's similar to what they had at the mall. "But I think the layout is going to serve us very well," she said. About half of the new museum is a warehouse area. The other half is the lobby and rooms, she said. One of those will be the designated party room for birthdays while another will be more of a flex space. "Our hope is we'll have exhibits in there. But then we're also hoping to bring in some traveling exhibits which is something that we really haven't done in the past," Behm-Kemmere said. "That way, especially our members can get some different experiences." Museum membership had been climbing before the announcement of the mall closing, noted Behm-Kemmere. "In 2024, they had over 40,000 visitors from 17 counties so the reach was really expanding. That will be one of our goals once we get there and established. We want to continue and grow," she said. "And with our location being off (Interstate) 75, I feel like that provides an opportunity for us to bring visitors into Findlay and Hancock County so we can contribute to the local economy." Behm-Kemmere said they plan to take a phased approach for reopening. Phase one will be working on the interior of the building. "We will not be doing any major construction or anything like that, mostly paint and flooring. There are a few safety things that we just want to fix to make sure its safe for kids and some accessibility features," she explained. The second phase will be re-establishing some of the exhibits. "We'll start with the existing exhibits because that's the fastest way for us to open up. And they won't have any huge upgrades. They'll be renovated a little and they'll be spruced up, but no major changes," she said. "Our goal is just to open our doors for our members and the community as soon as we can." As for the outside of the building, they'll pave the parking lot and do some esthetic details, she said. The last phase will involve future planning for the museum, she said. Details of the capital campaign will be announced after Christmas. "We've gotten all kinds of support already, not only financial but partners who have come out and helped," Behm-Kemmere said. The Granary donated building facades from the store when it closed. Behm-Kemmere said they are basically 4-foot deep buildings that were framed and constructured by Amish builders. "Most of those pieces are sitting in one of the rooms right now," she said. "We're excited to see how we can take it and use it and put our on twist on it. I'm really excited about the barn. I think it's going to be super cool to have the barn doors, and I think the kids will love it." "It's cool to have a piece of the community that wasn't going to be here. But now we can tie it in and continue it," she added. Community outreach has been a big part of the job for Behm-Kemmere and Megan James, visitors experience manage, since the closing. "We have focused on trying to get out in the community and still provide something for families whether it's a small play experience or going to a community event and doing something like a craft," she said. This week, the museum is hosting Christmas at Camp Berry with a mini gingerbread village, toys and exhibits. Santa will visit later in the week. "And the kids, they were having so much fun, and it was so good to see," she said. She said they usually participate in a national program called Museums for All. "Different museums do it different ways. Some get grant funding. But it gives families in need a 50% discount for admission," said Behm-Kemmere. "We were able to partner with Great Lakes Toyota and they donated to Head Start so that we could give every Head Start family a coupon so they can come actually for free." "We're trying to help as many people out as we can with families struggling. It's a hard time of year for everyone," she said. "We don't want to leave anybody out either." For the most part, they've heard nothing but positive comments and people being excited for museum to reopen. "Having the community on our side and supporting us, that's been like the icing on the cake knowing that this is something people want," she said. "And you know, that's what we're working towards, something that people are excited about and want to see." She said memberships will be adjusted if they expire during the time the museum is closed. Families can also purchase new memberships now that won't be activated until the first member day.