Stepping Stones Museum for Children is a hands-on children's museum

Children's museum

Children's museums are institutions that provide exhibits and programs to stimulate informal learning experiences for children. In contrast with traditional museums that typically have a hands-off policy regarding exhibits, children's museums feature interactive exhibits that are designed to be...

 for ages 10 and under located at 303 West Avenue, in the Central

Central Norwalk

The Central or Midtown section of Norwalk, Connecticut is an urbanized area in roughly the geographic center of the city, north of the South Norwalk neighborhood and the Connecticut Turnpike. Wall Street, West Avenue and Belden Avenue are the main thoroughfares...

 section of Norwalk, Connecticut

Norwalk, Connecticut

Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...

.

The museum's interactive exhibit areas include: "Energy Lab"; a "Multimedia Gallery" with a theater, a state-of-the-art broadcast studio, and an 18 feet (5.5 m)-by-12-foot high-definition screen;"In the Works", experiments with motion, gravity and energy; "Healthyville", with exhibits about bodies and healthy living; "Bubbles", a seasonal outdoor bubble creation area; "Toddler Terrain", an exploration area just for toddlers.

The entrance lobby houses ColorCoaster, a 27 feet (8.2 m) kinetic sculpture designed by artist George Rhoads.

The museum is located in Mathews Park, adjacent to the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion

Lockwood-Mathews Mansion

The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion is a Second Empire style country house, now a museum, in Norwalk, Connecticut. It was featured in the movies The Stepford Wives and House of Dark Shadows....

, the Center for Contemporary Printmaking

Center for Contemporary Printmaking

The Center for Contemporary Printmaking is a nonprofit multimedia studio and gallery in Norwalk, Connecticut, dedicated to the art of the print, including traditional and innovative printmaking, papermaking, book arts, digital processes, and related disciplines...

, a gallery and studio for printmaking, and Devon's Place, a playground designed for all children to play together, including those with physical, sensory and mental challenges.

History

Stepping Stones was founded in 2000 by Gigi Priebe. In its first 10 years of operation, the museum received two million visits.

The museum underwent a $17 million renovation in 2010, which closed Stepping Stones from August 17 to late November (with a "grand reopening" on November 20) and resulted in a 22000 square feet (2,043.9 m²) expansion, roughly doubling the indoor space of the facility. The project added to the museum the "Energy Lab" exhibit (which replaced the "Water Scape" exhibit), as well as a multimedia room, and removed the "Rainforest Adventure" exhibit. After the refurbishing, the museum building is LEED

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....

 Gold certified and features a wind turbine, solar panels, and a "green" roof planted with vegetation. The renovation also resulted in improvements to the Tot Town and Healthyville exhibits.

See also

• The Children's Museum
  The Children's Museum, Connecticut
  The Children's Museum is the oldest and largest museum for children in Connecticut, United States. The museum was founded in 1927 as the Children's Museum of Hartford, and was known until recently as The Science Center of Connecticut. The Museum is geared towards young children, and is committed...
  
  
• Children's Museum of Southeastern Connecticut
  Children's Museum of Southeastern Connecticut
  The Children's Museum of Southeastern Connecticut is an interactive educational and cultural institution located in Niantic, Connecticut. Founded in 1992, the museum covers and is designed to encourage children to study arts, sciences, health, and various cultures.The museum features 3 major...
  
  
• Connecticut Children's Museum
  Connecticut Children's Museum
  The Connecticut Children's Museum building, in New Haven, Connecticut, houses three programs, interwoven in purpose and philosophy: Creating Kids Child Care Center, Creating Curriculum Child Care Provider Training Program and the Connecticut Children's Museum itself...
  
  
• Connecticut Science Center
  Connecticut Science Center
  The Connecticut Science Center is a nine-story museum located on the Connecticut River in Hartford, Connecticut designed by César Pelli & Associates. It opened on June 12, 2009...
  
  
• Discovery Museum and Planetarium
  Discovery Museum and Planetarium
  The Discovery Museum and Planetarium is a hands-on science museum in Bridgeport, Connecticut that serves as both a tourist destination and an educational resource for area schools. The museum hosts three creative traveling exhibits each year and has permanent space, sound and electricity...
  
  
• Eli Whitney Museum
  Eli Whitney Museum
  The Eli Whitney Museum, in Hamden, Connecticut, is an experimental learning workshop for students, teachers, and families. The museum focuses on teaching experiments that are the roots of design and invention, featuring hands-on building projects and exhibits on Eli Whitney and A. C...
  
  
• List of museums in Connecticut
• Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk
  Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk
  The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk is an aquarium located in the South Norwalk section of Norwalk, Connecticut....
  
  

External links

• Stepping Stones Museum for Children