Our Story
The Kansas Children’s Discovery Center believes play is powerful, and quality play experiences are transformational for children and families. In the first 13 years of operation, the nonprofit children’s museum has served more than 1 million visitors from across Kansas and beyond. With our current building regularly at capacity, we are on the cusp of an exciting new chapter in our mission to ignite children’s passion for learning.
Building Discovery
Our vision is to create a museum where every child can find exciting opportunities to explore, experiment, and learn. To achieve this, we are eager to build three new learning lab classrooms that blend a test kitchen, indoor and outdoor learning, serving as the foundation for school-aged children’s STEAM learning camps and programs. These cutting-edge learning labs will serve as hubs of innovation, alongside new exhibit space designed for traveling and permanent installations. Critical access and safety additions include a nursing room, sensory-friendly space, field trip entrance, workshop, and storm shelter.
Project Elements
- An artful, cohesive addition to the north of the current building will more than double the size of the museum from 15,000 to over 30,000 square feet.
- An iconic indoor climbing structure anchored by the tallest climbable sunflower in the world, at two stories tall, will draw tourism and excite visitors of all ages.
- Eleven new exhibit experiences exploring science, water power, civic engagement, dramatic play, and more to inspire learning.
- Three new learning lab classrooms that will create space for quality, STEAM-based childcare for school-age children.
- A 3,000 square foot traveling exhibit gallery to enable the museum to host any traveling exhibit from around the United States.
- Indoor-outdoor learning space connecting a state of-the-art teaching kitchen with an intergenerational, accessible garden.
- Kansas-themed learning opportunities integrated throughout exhibit spaces to excite the next generation of Kansas leaders and innovators.
- An inventive makerspace that will enable curious children to tinker, explore, and create in a collaborative environment.
- Critical access and safety additions including a nursing room, sensory-friendly space, group entrance, and storm shelter.
Educational Impact
Innovative indoor and outdoor experiences to broaden the horizons of all visitors and enable the museum to host any traveling exhibit from around the world.
Economic Impact
Building Discovery is projected to increase visitors to 150,000 annually and product $5.8 million in annual economic impact to the greater Topeka region.
Child Care Impact
Three new learning lab classrooms will create space for 5,000 days of childcare during out of school time. These cutting-edge learning labs will serve as hubs of innovation for future leaders.
Access Impact
120,000 visitors came to the Discovery Center in 2023, with 50,000 visitors being welcomed through free or reduced admission in our Access Programs. Our commitment to access will ensure every child benefits from Building Discovery.