UTICA, N.Y. — Construction has wrapped up on the new $8 million Utica Children’s Museum, which is part of an overall $14 million ICAN Family Resource Center project.
The 14,000-square-foot museum includes exhibits designed as exciting play-based experiences with many benefits to children, the office of Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday.
The play-based experiences target school readiness and career exposure to increased socialization and quality time with family and friends.
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In addition to the governor’s grant of $750,000 from state capital funding sources to support the Utica Children’s Museum, Empire State Development provided more than $1 million in capital funding through the Market New York program. The New York State Council on the Arts also provided a $300,000 capital grant.
New York State Assemblymember Marianne Buttenschon (D–Marcy) also secured an additional $125,000 in funding through the fiscal year 2024 state budget, Hochul’s office noted.
“Today marks an incredible milestone not just for the Utica Children’s Museum, but [also] for our entire community,” Meghan Fraser McGrogan, executive director of the Utica Children’s Museum, said. “We are so excited to celebrate the hard work of our team and all of our partners who made this project possible. We have thoughtfully designed this museum to be an inclusive, welcoming and inspiring environment for children to learn and grow. Our new museum is truly a place where families can come together to play, learn and create lasting memories.”
Located within the Integrated Community Alternatives Network (ICAN) Family Resource Center at 106 Memorial Parkway, the “completely reimagined” museum includes a 4,000-square-foot rotunda and a renovated 10,000-square-foot second floor, which has six galleries and 60 custom-fabricated exhibits.
The new museum is part of a larger project of ICAN — the development of a first-of-its-kind Family Resource Center that houses ICAN family-based programs, a community room available for other organizations, and the museum.
With more than 60 years of history, the Utica Children’s Museum is one of the oldest children’s museums in the country.