Please Touch Museum

Last updated
Please Touch Museum
MemorialHallPhila03.jpg
Memorial Hall in 2010
Street map of Philadelphia and surrounding area.png
Red pog.svg
Location within Philadelphia
Established2 October 1976 (1976-10-02)
Location Memorial Hall, Fairmount Park
4231 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Coordinates 39°58′46″N75°12′33″W / 39.9795°N 75.2092°W / 39.9795; -75.2092
Type Children's museum [1]
Accreditation American Alliance of Museums
Visitors566,000 (2011) [2]
FounderPortia Sperr
PresidentPatricia D. Wellenbach
CEOPatricia D. Wellenbach
Public transit accessAiga bus trans.svg SEPTA.svg SEPTA bus: 38, 40
Aiga bus trans.svg Philly PHLASH
Website www.pleasetouchmuseum.org

The Please Touch Museum is a children's museum located in the Centennial District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The museum focuses on teaching children through interactive exhibits and special events, [1] mostly aimed at children seven years old and younger.

Contents

History

External videos
Cat fish Carousel Philly.JPG
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg All About Please Touch Museum, Please Touch Museum, November 2011, 2:53
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Opera Company of Philadelphia Please Touch Museum Random Act of Culture, Opera Philadelphia, April 2011, 2:31

The museum originally opened at the Academy of Natural Sciences on October 2, 1976, in a 2,200-square-foot (200 m2) space, and moved to another location on nearby Cherry Street two years later. In 1983, the museum moved to 21st Street near the Franklin Institute. On February 14, 2005, the museum received an 80-year lease for Memorial Hall (in Fairmount Park), the last major building left from the 1876 Centennial Exposition. This came after plans to relocate the museum to a location at Penn's Landing fell through. [3] Renovations at Memorial Hall began on December 15, 2005, and the museum closed its 21st Street location on September 1, 2008. On October 18, 2008, the museum opened at its current location with a larger facility and more exhibits. [4]

The museum's financial projections related to its move to Memorial Hall proved to be over-optimistic and it was forced to declare bankruptcy in 2015. [5] It emerged from bankruptcy in 2016 [6] and, with the help of new major donations, was able to announce that it was now debt-free. [7]

On September 24, 2018, the Philadelphia Flyers introduced their new mascot, Gritty, at the Please Touch Museum. [8] A furry purple monster mascot, Squiggles, was introduced at the Please Touch Museum on October 7, 2018. [9]

Exhibits

Other

Programs

Great Friend to Kids (GFTK) Awards

The Association of Children's Museums initiated the Great Friend to Kids Award in 1991, to honor individuals who have made outstanding contributions toward strengthening education for children. National Great Friend to Kids Award winners include Fred Rogers ("Mister Rogers") and Marian Wright Edelman (president and founder of the Children's Defense Fund).

In 1996, the Please Touch Museum began presenting its own GFTK award, to coincide with the museum's 20th birthday. The awards honor individuals and organizations making outstanding contributions to enriching the lives of children. The 2009 awards were designed by Philadelphia artist Leo Sewell, creator of Please Touch Museum's own "Artie the Elephant" and the Statue of Liberty Arm & Torch created entirely from discarded toys. [11]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Please Touch Museum. "Please Touch Museum" brochure, circa 2007.
  2. Van Allen, Peter (27 January 2012). "Please Touch Museum embarks on fundraising campaign". Philadelphia Business Journal. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
  3. Dobrin, Peter (Oct 12, 2008). "A grand new Please Touch ready to open in the park". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on Nov 21, 2023.
  4. "History". Please Touch Museum. Archived from the original on 2009-05-02.
  5. Shelly, Jared (2015-09-11). "Please Touch Museum Files Bankruptcy, Settles Long Dispute with Bondholders". Philadelphia Magazine. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  6. Crimmins, Peter (March 16, 2016). "Please Touch Museum out of bankruptcy". WHYY. Retrieved 2019-11-05.
  7. Tanenbaum, Michael (16 March 2016). "Please Touch Museum, debt-free through fundraiser, exits bankruptcy". PhillyVoice. Retrieved 2019-11-05.
  8. Hall, Jordan (September 24, 2018). "Flyers introduce new mascot 'Gritty'". NBC Sports Philadelphia.
  9. "Please Touch Museum introduces new mascot 'Squiggles'". CBS News. October 7, 2018.
  10. Salisbury, Stephan (Nov 6, 2019). "New Please Touch gallery will head back to the Centennial of 1876 to help kids imagine the future". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  11. "Please Touch Museum announces winners of the 14th annual 'Great Friend to Kids Awards' ", Phillies press release, September 3, 2009. MLB Advanced Media, L.P. Retrieved 2009-09-08.