Spotlight: St. George Children’s Museum

by KATIE BROOKS

Many field-trip groups have explored the St. George Children's Museum. But one girl from one group stands out in the memory of Marnie Workman, Co-Executive Director. Rosie (name has been changed) was a first-grader at a hard-hit school that didn’t have many resources or much parental support. When Workman realized that only 3 out of the 75+ children in Rosie’s group had attended the museum before, she made sure to give each child a voucher for a free return visit.

“Two weeks later, Rosie ran in,” Workman remembers. “She grabbed me around the legs in a hug and said, ‘Miss Marnie, I’m back!’ She took my hand and pulled me from room to room to show me her favorite things in the museum and introduce me to her family. With a huge smile on her face, she said, "Today is my birthday, and this is the best present ever!’ The visit to our museum had been her only gift, but she was on top of the world.”

Children like Rosie find joy in the St. George Children’s Museum (SGCM) because of what it allows them to do: Discover, Imagine, and Create! These three words make up the museum’s motto and point to the nonprofit’s mission. The museum’s interactive exhibits invite kids and their parents to use their five senses, explore the world, and find fun in learning. “We want to send children a message: Whatever you do, do it with passion and confidence,” says Workman. “When children experience these lessons with a trusted mentor, the learning is strongly reinforced in a way not achievable in the average classroom.”

Concerned and proactive citizens dreamed of a children’s museum in the St. George community for years before plans were set in motion. When the Lied Museum in Las Vegas decided to change locations, they sold or donated exhibit materials to SGCM worth almost $1 million. With the help of sponsors, artists, and donors, SGCM paid to purchase and transport the exhibit materials from Las Vegas. After acquiring adequate space, the museum opened its doors in 2013. Since then, over 450,000 visitors from every state, many countries, and every continent (yes, even Antarctica) have attended the museum.

“The first thing visitors see when they walk into the museum is a rug patterned like a road,” Workman says. “This road symbolizes the main street of a community and leads to our 12 themed exhibit rooms. These rooms represent the different people and organizations that help a community thrive.” In the grocery store room, children can learn to navigate a real-world experience by filling kid-sized carts and checking out at a cashier’s desk. Children’s creativity and interest will be sparked in the music and science discovery rooms through trying new instruments or stepping into a miniature tornado. Exhibits like the veterinarian room can inspire children to ponder and even practice for future careers by using tools like stethoscopes.

The museum’s space, two floors of the historic Dixie College building opened in 1911, is rented from the City of St. George for a minimal annual fee. In order to pay this fee and keep the lights on, the museum charges an admission fee of $5 for each visitor two years of age or older. Discounts are available for seniors and families of veterans. About 40% of the SGCM’s revenue is raised through admissions; all other funding comes from foundations, corporate sponsors, and private donors.

The museum also offers great volunteer programs, including an especially successful senior program. A volunteer can work for as few as 10 hours in 3 months and pick their own hours. Volunteers of any age can also showcase a personal skill to the children in SGCM’s “Meet the Expert” program. From pilots to beekeepers, volunteers have become living examples of ways to love work. Anyone wishing to donate or volunteer can visit the organization’s website.

A new and large exhibit called Kids at Work opened in April 2018. In this room dedicated to construction and engineering, children will learn about levers, pulleys, earthquakes, arches, and more.

Voted several years in a row by the Spectrum Media group as the best place to take kids in Southern Utah, the SGCM is known for offering fun. But it also offers something much more important. “When children attend the museum,” Workman says, “they can see themselves being successful and needed in this world. That’s what we want for our children and their families. That’s why we’re here.”