River Park Square and the Children’s Museum of Spokane jointly announced today they have signed a lease that will allow the interactive, hands-on museum to nearly double its size and move to the downtown retail center.  

The Children’s Museum will relocate from its nearby Post Street location to the downtown shopping, dining and entertainment center this fall.  It will occupy a 16,000-square-foot space, nearly doubling its current space, in the center’s lower level.   The new location will include more, larger exhibits and displays, as well as offices and meeting rooms.  

“As the centerpiece for the new downtown, River Park Square features unique things to do, see and experience for people of all ages,” said Betsy Cowles, developer of River Park Square, LLC.  “The Children’s Museum will add a whole new dimension to our mix of one-of-a-kind stores, restaurants and entertainment venues.”                                                     

The independent, non-profit Children’s Museum of Spokane provides learning opportunities for young children through hands-on exhibits, special events and educational programming in the areas of science, natural history and culture.  

“The Children’s Museum has built a solid foundation and is now seeking new and better ways to serve children and families,” said Don Kardong, executive director of the five-year-old Museum.  

Kardong added that the Museum’s vision for growth and sustainability is to expand its offerings, which requires it to relocate to a new site.  Over the past year, the Museum board has conducted an extensive search and considered several alternative sites.

Plans for future growth were important to the Museum’s decision, explained Kardong.  More exhibits and expanded activities will increase repeat visits among members and visitors, and allow it to expand programs for children older than six years.  Currently, the Museum programs focus on the infant-to-age-six group.

“We believe the higher visibility and easy access offered by River Park Square will provide a bottom-line difference for the Museum,” said Kardong.  

Children’s museums in other communities have experienced significant increases in attendance by relocating to highly visible, easily accessible and convenient locations, such as River Park Square, he said.  

In Olympia, memberships jumped from 600 to 2,600 when the children’s museum there moved to a larger location with higher visibility, he said, and in Portland, memberships grew from 1,200 to 8,000 and visits per year jumped from 86,000 to 251, 000 when that museum moved adjacent to the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry.

“As a community gathering place River Park Square hosts a wide range of meaningful community-based activities,” Cowles said.  “The Children’s Museum brings a great deal to the community and will now take it to a whole new level.”

River Park Square and surrounding downtown businesses serve a regional market of more then 1.7 million people.  The retail center has generated more than $9 million in tax and fee revenues for the City of Spokane and services located in the city, has created and retained an estimated 1,200 jobs, and has served as a catalyst for downtown revitalization. 

The Children’s Museum of Spokane is an independent, non-profit organization that provides quality learning experiences for children of the Inland Northwest through hands-on exhibits, special events and educational programming in the areas of science, natural history and culture.