Spark! Children’s Museum of Montana opens for members on June 13 at its new location at 201 2nd Ave. S.
From June 13 through the end of June, the museum will operate Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 5 pm exclusively for members as it launches operations in the new space.
The museum will open to the general public in July.
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As part of the opening in the new space, Spark! is offering special launch memberships that are valid through December. Those members get the early access starting June 13.
Jacki Worstell, museum director, told The Electric that they’re planning to purchase the new building, which is the former B&B Rental that was listed for sale in early 2023 after the showroom closed in 2022.
Worstell said several exhibits are sponsored and for the opening, they’ll feature summer exploration exhibits on loan from ExplorationWorks in Helena.
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The opening also features two sponsored exhibits that arrived on June 8: the Bravera Bank Exhibit and Scheels Great Indoors, complete with a retro camper.
Worstell said they’re excited about the plane exhibit, which has been refurbished with authentic pilot seats and controls.
She said additional exhibits and enhancements will be added throughout the summer and their full vision is part of a three-year development plan.
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Worstell told The Electric that “the community response has been incredible.”
The museum participated in the Museum Consortium’s spring sampler and had more than 300 families in its new space who “shared how excited they are for the museum’s reopening and were especially appreciative of the new single-level layout, which allows parents to more easily supervise multiple children while they explore,” Worstell said.
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The museum is now participating in Museums for All, through the Association of Children’s Museums, which allows families to visit the museum for $3 per person, up to four people, by presenting a valid EBT card and photo identification.
Launch memberships are:
- Family: $50 for two adults and all household members under 18
- Family plus one: $75 for two adults and one caregiver or grandparent and all household members under 18
- Grandparent: $50 for two adults and all grandchildren under 18
- Organization 10: $100 for caregivers and up to 10 children under 18
- Grandparent plus one: $75 for two adults and one caregiver and all household members under 18
- Organization 15: $150 for caregivers and up to 15 children under 18
On June 13, doors will open exclusively for launch members at 10 a.m. Upon arrival, members will receive their membership card and are asked to bring a valid photo identification with a name associated with the membership purchase.
To help expedite entry, museum staff encourage the public to purchase memberships online before visiting the museum. The museum cannot currently accept cash or check payments for memberships at this time.
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Previously known as the Children’s Museum of Montana, Spark! was created in 1997 through a grassroots effort led by local parents and the Junior League.
Children’s Museum closing current location while continuing search for new home [2024]
The City of Great Falls provided the museum with an annual $1 lease at the former location at 22 Railroad Square, after a joint effort to renovate the formerly vacant warehouse with grant and donation funding.
The museum stopped operating at 22 Railroad Square in November of 2024 after its board determined the most cost-efficient way forward was to cease operations at that location and seek a new home.
Spark! searched more than 12 properties around Great Falls before finding its new home.
“The reopening marks an exciting new chapter for Spark! Children’s Museum of Montana as it continues its mission to inspire curiosity, creativity, and learning through interactive experiences designed for children of all ages,” according to the museum.
For more information about memberships, birthday parties or museum updates, email hello@sparkmt.org.
*Spark! photo
