Children's Museum seeks input as it plans major makeover

For nearly three decades, the Canadian Children's Museum has been a favourite among the region's smallest visitors, with its hands-on activities and globe-spanning exhibits.

Now the attraction at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau is due for a major update, and staff are reaching out to the public for ideas about how to bring it into the 21st century.

The renewal is being planned "to reflect current approaches to play and learning in children's museums," the museum said in a news release.

"Play now is really understood as being a learning process," the museum's head of visitor experience, Chantal Amyot, told CBC's All In A Day.

A few of the exhibits, such as the post office and telephone booth, now seem a bit outdated and receive scant attention from visitors, museum director Jean-Marc Blais said.

"You can imagine that when kids come by [those exhibits], they just go by. They don't stop," Blais said.

Improving accessibility

In addition to updating the exhibits, Amyot said the museum wants to make the space more accessible to disabled people, and more appealing to older visitors.

"The current museum is really, really focused on kids only," Amyot said. "[We want to] offer opportunities ... designed so you have a very meaningful exchange with the people you are with."

While staff already have some ideas of their own, they're also reaching out to the public for input.

The museum will hold a feedback session on Oct. 21, and has posted an online survey on its website.

Soliciting feedback

"We want to hear from users — from people locally, but also nationally — as to what they would expect from a children's museum today," Blais said.

Gaining the public's input will also help staff determine what to keep and what to cut from the current attractions, Blais said.

"It's a great opportunity to make the Children's Museum for generations to come."

The museum will remain in its current configuration until January 2020. After that, many of the exhibits will be relocated to other parts of the Museum of History until the revamp is completed. The new and improved museum is expected to open in the summer of 2021.