Mission and History:

Mission Statement:
A fun, safe, and inviting place, kidscommons nurtures exploration, collaboration, and creativity within all children and their caregivers. It is a place to learn about our community and our world.

Fun and Learning for All Ages:
When kidscommons Children’s Museum opened in downtown Columbus, Indiana on October 1, 2005, visitors discovered exciting exhibits in a space five times larger than the original facility housed in The Commons Centre. Facilitated by local architect Louis Joyner and assisted by Quatrefoil Exhibit Designers from Maryland and professionals from the Cincinnati Children’s Museum, kidscommons has been designed to serve children from infants through age twelve.

Located at 309 Washington Street, in a building once occupied by the J.C. Penney Department Store, kidscommons offers many opportunities for fun and learning and features three floors of interactive exhibits. All exhibits are accessible by way of ramps and an elevator.

Our vibrant, safe setting is full of hands-on learning and fun. Spend time in the Childhood Garden, enjoy Our House-Japan, scamper up our 17-foot-tall climbing wall, or hang out in the bubble room, a favorite exhibit from our early days in the pilot museum. Don’t miss museum favorites ExploraHouse, home of our world famous giant toilet, and Kids on the Move, our healthy lifestyles exhibit.

The history of kidscommons goes back more than a decade when, under the leadership of Founding Member Lynne Maguire, a group of interested citizens met to discuss the feasibility of starting a children’s museum in Columbus. The opening of the new facility in 2005 marked the culmination of much planning and work which also included the operation of a smaller pilot museum that opened in The Commons Centre in 1998.