PEABODY — On Sunday, Oct. 15, the North Shore Children’s Museum will celebrate its first anniversary. The museum, which opened in a former bank building on Main Street, includes 15 diverse exhibits each with interactive educational components designed to encourage learning through play.
Peabody Mayor Ted Bettencourt’s vision for a children’s museum as a catalyst for downtown revitalization began several years ago after visiting the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire.
“In the year since it opened, the North Shore Children’s Museum has become a destination for children and families from across our region. In addition to being a place for kids to have fun and learn, the museum has helped generate additional foot traffic downtown which contributes to the success of other local businesses,” Bettencourt said.
In 2019 the Peabody Cultural Collaborative opened a nine-month pop-up museum called CuriousCity. This proved that there was a strong appetite for a children’s museum in the community and prompted Bettencourt and Peabody’s City Council to create a children’s museum department in February 2022. Soon after, Bettencourt secured the lease of 10 Main St., the former TD Bank building. Ali Haydock began as executive director in July 2022, hired a talented team of five, curated 15 exhibits, and three months later, the museum was ready to welcome its first visitors.
Since opening, NSCM has sold 30,193 tickets from 277 cities and towns across 37 states. Access is a fundamental part of their mission, with 28.3% of all admissions free or at a discounted rate. Their philosophy of “everything starts with play” represents the idea that play is vital for every child’s development. Creating safe and fun opportunities to engage in play with family, caregivers, and friends is central to the work of the museum.
Most recently, the museum created a 501c3 arm – Friends of North Shore Children’s Museum, Inc. The foundation will allow the museum to raise vital dollars for special exhibits, continue to offer exclusively free programming, and supplement income-based admission prices.
“It’s truly been an honor to have a hand in developing this special space for the North Shore. Every day we get to see hundreds of smiles, precious moments between caregivers and children, and curious minds discover new things about themselves and the world around them. We are so grateful for the dozens of partners who have made the past year possible,” Haydock said.
In celebration of their “First Birthday,” admission to North Shore Children’s Museum on Oct. 14 and 15 will be just $1.
The museum thanks the generous sponsors who make this $1 admission weekend possible:
Gold Sponsors: Holden Family, GraVoc, EMaxx, 5 Star Rims; Silver Sponsors: Crystal Joyce Dance Academy, Metro North YMCA, Lyon Waugh Auto Group; Bronze Sponsors: Dematos Landscaping, Rock the Spectrum, Savvy Support, Stadium Oil; Friends Sponsors: Steve Smith, Citizens Inn, Office Concepts Inc.
Tickets to the First Birthday Weekend are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Online reservations are encouraged and can be made at: nschildrensmuseum.org/visit/buy-tickets.
