GREAT FALLS — The Spark! Children's Museum of Montana, a Great Falls staple for many years, is about to embark on a new chapter. With a new facility and a new director, significant developments are happening.
"It's been really exciting since I got here," said Jackie Worstell, who took over as director a few months ago. "One of the things I was so happy to hear is that I get to be here at the start of what is going to be, I feel, a refresh period for the children's museum."
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Worstell, a Montana native, says her goal is to revamp popular displays while introducing new ones that are tailored to the needs of today's youth.
"We want to definitely remove kids from the screen in some way but still keep them engaged to that level of where kids are at now," she said. "I think it kind of lends us both those opportunities."
She notes that children today interact and learn differently from the way they did 20 years ago, and the museum must evolve to reflect this.
"I'm taking this as our opportunity to lead again for what the future children's museums need to look like," Worstell said.
The museum's new location is at 201 Second Avenue South, which formerly was home to B&B Loan & Rental. They have secured a $111,000 grant to make it fully ADA-accessible.
The new building also has an open layout, allowing parents to keep an eye on numerous children at once.
Although much work remains to be done, the museum is expected to open in early 2026.
Meanwhile, fundraising activities are beginning, and the community will have the opportunity to support the relocation and expansion.
For more information, visit their website at SparkMT.org.
(NOVEMBER 7, 2024) The Children’s Museum of Montana is closing temporarily as it continues searching for a new home. Sunday, November 10, will be the Museum’s last official day of operations at 22 Railroad Square. It will be free and open to all from noon until 4pm on Sunday.
A news release on Thursday, November 7, 2024, says that the organization has informed the City of Great Falls that it will be moving out of its current location at 22 Railroad Square at the end of November.
The Children’s Museum of Montana opened on February 13, 1999, at the Railroad Square location with a 15-year lease with the City. While the City has extended the lease several times, the building was not intended to serve as the permanent home of the Museum.
The museum’s board of directors has determined that “the most cost-efficient way forward is to move from the current space into a new, permanent home.”
The Board of Directors is looking at locations in Great Falls to serve as a permanent home, with a goal of reopening in 2026.
The museum is accepting donations to help with the purchase of the new location.
Over the next several weeks, CMOM will be contacting their more than 300 members to discuss the transition and the option of prorated membership refunds.
If you would like to donate - or learn more about the situation - click here to visit the website, click here for the Facebook page, or call 406.836.1436.
Laura Ewalt, the interim director of CMOM, said in the news release, “The Children’s Museum of Montana has spent more than two decades lighting the spark of learning for area children. Our passionate and dedicated staff, volunteers, and board members are excited about the opportunity to honor that history while reinvigorating the Museum to ensure it stays relevant and vital to the community.”
