Our Mission
To be the stewards of early childhood and to help all our youngest citizens grow and develop into their best selves.
Our Vision
The Children’s Museum of Manhattan advances society’s perception of childhood and its understanding of healthy child development to nurture the next generation of creative global citizens.
By creating experiences at the intersection of the arts, sciences and the humanities, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan helps children and families thrive at home, at school, and in the community. These experiences include exhibitions, classes, workshops, performances, and festivals. Based on research, evaluation, and testing, our programs and exhibits are designed to address the multiple ways children learn and to help parents understand and support their children’s development. The Museum’s special areas of focus—selected for their ability to benefit children throughout their lives—include early childhood education, creativity, health, and world cultures.
Founded in 1973 by parents as a grassroots, neighborhood organization, the Children’s Museum flourished. Today it is a beloved citywide resource for children, family, and educators as well as a popular destination for visitors from around the world. Each year approximately 350,000 people visit our 38,000 square-foot learning facility on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Hundreds of thousands more benefit from the museum’s outreach programs at schools, libraries, homeless shelters, Head Start centers, and hospitals; its touring exhibitions; and its online tools and curricula.
Visitors can enjoy more than 80 workshops, classes, and performances free with admission to the Museum each week. Our professional development programs are available to parents, educators, childcare providers, and healthcare professionals as a means to share and reinforce learning with children and their families who may not be able to visit.
All of the Museum’s work is designed to be replicated and shared with other organizations. We begin by collaborating with respected research and academic institutions and we also partner with national and local government agencies. We are particularly grateful to our forward-looking funders and supporters and are honored to work with other cultural, academic, arts, governmental and civil society groups dedicated to the welfare and advancement of children and families.