Canada's first children's museum has become a piece of history itself, as it celebrates four decades in London.
Employees at the London Children’s Museum are throwing a 40th birthday party this weekend, to commemorate the milestone.
Two boys explore the dinosaur displays at the London Children's Museum, date unknown. (Photo courtesy of Sarah Hogeveen)
Kate Ledgley, the museum's director of visitor experience, said the museum has a long and rich history that's been woven into the fabric of childhood for many who grew up in London. She said it's a wonderful thing to celebrate.
"Our founder Carol Johnston, back in 1973, went to a children's museum in Boston and saw that it was a place where children could explore, they could touch everything, interact with everything and she decided that she wanted that sort of thing for her children and the children of London," said Ledgley. "So she set about starting a children's museum in London with a team of volunteers in 1977. We opened at our current location at [the former] Riverview Public School in 1982."
Ledgley said the essence of the museum has not changed much in since its founding in 1977. She said it's still a place where children can play, learn, and be able to interact with the displays.
"I feel like those core values and the core reason why Carol started the [London] Children's Museum, are still very valuable today," she said. "We have dinosaurs, space, science, and the street where you live. It's a mini community where kids can go grocery shopping or pretend to be a firefighter or a police officer, or act out a play in our theatre."
The London Children's Museum's birthday party is being held from 10am-5pm on Sunday, at its location at 21 Wharncliffe Rd. S. Ledgley said it's their way of saying thank you to the community for being apart of the museum's 40-year history.
"We are free [to all] for the day on Sunday," she said. "We will have face painting, balloons, cupcakes, a bunch of activities like making party hats and buttons, we have a DJ dance party. So it's going to be a ton of fun."
A full list of activities can be found online by clicking here.
The London Children's Museum is a registered charity which sees around 80,000 children and their families come through its doors each year.
-With files from Miranda Chant
