Wonderfeet Kids Museum set to open in their new space on Merchants Row

Article originally published as “Wonderfeet Kids Museum set to open in their new space on Merchants Row Saturday” by John Hawks

May 4, 2023

NBC 5

Wonderfeet Kids Museum will reopen in its new space on Merchants Row in downtown Rutland after being closed for two months.

“We’re very excited to open back up on Saturday,” said Danielle Monroe, the executive director of Wonderfeet Kids Museum. “One of the great things about the bigger space is it gives us more flexibility in our schedule.”

In the new space, they will be able to host birthday parties, school field trips, and events, all while keeping the museum open to visitors – something they couldn’t do before.

Monroe is ready to share the space with visitors from all over the area.

“Our goal is to make this a place not just for all the families in Rutland County but to be such an attraction that we’re attracting families from all over the state,” she said.

The children’s museum is three times the size of the old space and has a theme that hits close to home.

“We were very specific about wanting to reflect Vermont in the design of the museum. So, it really looks like a Vermont town,” Monroe said.

All the exhibits were carefully thought out, with all the design language translating between each. An emphasis was put into making the museum fun for the whole family with very interactive elements.

That includes learning to recycle and grocery shopping at the farmers market and visiting some new and improved exhibits.

“Things that families may have enjoyed before, like our train engine, have gotten expanded. We now have a full train station and a caboose to go with that train,” Monroe said.

Three more exhibits are in the works and should be open by the end of the year. And they are excited to see all their plans and hard work become reality.

“Just from the day that we did a preview from a small group of families,” Monroe said. “It was so incredibly rewarding to see those kids actually get to interact with things that I had just been looking at on paper for so many months.”

The museum will be open starting Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.