The London Children’s Museum is relocating to a bigger structure with easier accessibility at the east-end area of the Forest City.
Carol Johnston, founder of the museum, said Tuesday that it would be moving to 100 Kellogg Lane after 36 years at their current venue on Wharncliffe Road. The new building, formerly owned by a cereal company Kellogg, offers a more spacious environment with ample parking for children and parents.
Plans to change locations and sell the building were revealed on Oct. 1, 2013. It was sold to London landowner Shmuel Farhi.
Yet it would take five years for the move to commence. Officials say they are happy for the opportunities it brings. The new location’s open floor design with ceilings over 25 feet allows new features to be built.
“We are thrilled to be able to create a state of the art educational and cultural destination for this city,” said executive director Amanda Conlon.
Children will have an outdoor playground on the rooftop, approximately 5,000 square feet.
Conlon adds that the museum’s 40-year history in the community will not be lost amid the change. Visitors will still see familiar art pieces, including the giant skeletal dinosaur that sits at the centre of the main floor. They will be transferring 7,000 artifacts into the new building to allow parents explore all exhibits on one floor.
The Children’s Museum joins the wave of new developments happening in the old east area.
“I think there’s this opportunity for us to be part of a really amazing redevelopment of a space in an already vibrant community,” Conlon said.
“For the Children’s Museum to be able to move into a space that’s rich in its own history — I think is a beautiful fit for us.”
Conlon estimates that the project will be completed in 2021. She said a lot of planning and assessments need to take place before opening the doors. The next phase of the project includes creating an architectural plan, designing new exhibits and renovating the fourth floor of the new site, which is where it will be residing.
Members of the community are encouraged to provide ideas on ways to improve the new facility online at staycuriouslondon.ca or at their current location on 21 Wharncliffe Rd.