The Chesapeake Children’s Museum

Table of Contents

The objective of the Chesapeake Children’s Museum is to provide an environment for all of our children, as well as the children in all of us, to learn about themselves, the peoples, the technology, and the ecology of the Chesapeake Bay area.
On June 28, 1992, the first meeting was held. Debbie Wood put an ad in Chesapeake Family Magazine (formerly Chesapeake Children) and The Capital newspaper inviting people to talk about the prospect of starting a hands-on museum for kids in Annapolis. At least twenty phone calls were returned. The group met regularly for the next two years, organising and conducting hands-on activities for children and families at their own and other community events. The first was a Back to School Fair at Anne Arundel Community College, which was co-sponsored by the Broadneck Jaycees and the Arundel-Bowie Association for the Education of Young Children. The topic was “Where in the World is Christopher Columbus?” in honour of the 500th anniversary of his discovery. Approximately 20 more community events were held over the next two years, including the Quiet Waters Park Earth Day Celebration, the Kunta Kinte Heritage Festival, and the Maryland Seafood Festival, through which the group spread the word about the museum, recruited more volunteers, and developed hands-on activities.

History The Chesapeake Children’s Museum

CCM was founded in May 1994, and throughout the summer of that year, a temporary home was provided at Odenton Elementary School. Exhibit areas were set up in neighbouring classrooms, computer activities were provided in a multi-station lab, and a large art room was filled with a wide variety of materials for visual expression. Five different themes were used to organise special programmes and performances, one for each week. A thousand people arrived to watch what was going on. Thanks to Jeff Franklin of Be Beep a Toy Shop, the next house was graciously donated just before our time at Odenton Elementary was up.

CCM had a rent-free home in Annapolis’ Festival at Riva Shopping Center for five and a half years. Exhibits and programming have developed in response to public demand and interest. Collaborations with other agencies and groups – schools, scouts, churches, health centres, and other museums – developed as participation in an expanding number of annual festivals persisted. The shopping mall was fully leased in February 2000, and the museum’s space was required for a paying tenant. It was past time for us to move on. The necessity for this resource had been demonstrated by the community, and it was time to find a larger, more secure location to continue the museum’s outstanding work.
By Spring 2000, a temporary home had been secured at the Eastport Shopping Center, which would only endure until the next location at Eastport Elementary School became available. The hunt proceeded, knowing that this would be a summer home.
The recently vacated WYRE building, which is owned by Annapolis, has been offered as a safe haven. The Youth Services Bureau had recently relocated to the Stanton Center, which had recently been renovated. The 50-year-old structure, which sits at the head of Spa Creek and is surrounded by 5 1/4 acres of city-owned parks, was absolutely suitable for the museum’s needs. A lease agreement was pursued with the mayor’s urging and the support of several City Council members. Numerous code violations were discovered during an examination by the city’s Permits office (including the need for a sprinkler system). These issues needed to be addressed before the museum could open, therefore a long-term lease was necessary to entice cash and labour to renovate the space and make it a permanent home for the museum. A long-term lease was approved in June 2001. In lieu of rent, CCM is responsible for building modifications and maintenance. Our doors opened to the public in November 2002, after months of remodelling!