Knock Knock Children’s Museum is set to debut in Baton Rouge’s City Brooks Community Park on Dalrymple Drive sometime this summer after being hit with flood-related construction delays.
The precise opening date of the BREC facility remains vague, and the total cost of the museum is also a moving target, says Project Manager Melissa Bell, until final plans are set in concrete.
With a promise of full interactive “learning zones” for kids to consume more brainpower, the museum’s learning zones are designed to connect a child’s every day experience to learning, said Aza Bowlin, chairwoman of the facility’s board of directors.
Bowlin said design experts and community volunteers created these exhibits, guided by a survey of Baton Rouge’s specific early education needs. Some of the learning zones will be unique to Louisiana culture.
Roughly 30,000 square feet in three floors of Knock Knock’s learning zones will help children learn reading, writing, math, visual arts, performance, science, technology, engineering, health and wellness while having fun.
“Children’s museums inspire informal learning through play which scientific research shows is the most effective way to teach young children,” Bowlin said.
Traditional museums have the look-but-don’t-touch policy, she noted. Not Knock Knock Children’s Museum. This place is the opposite: Learning zones are made to be manipulated by kids.
With 18 learning zones and an outdoor play area, Bowlin said that a day at Knock Knock will be a full day of activity for the family. While there is no food service inside, the green space shaded by live oaks provides for a picnic spot outside the museum’s rear door.
Knock Knock Children’s Museum broke ground more than a year ago. Bowlin said with the massive repair operations following the August flooding, the project was hit by construction delays.
“In addition to affecting our opening timeline, the recent flood has highlighted the need for a community gathering place where families can come to learn through play and alleviate stress,” Bowlin points out. “Knock Knock is ready for the challenge.”
Bowlin says the children’s museum would not happen without philanthropic support of individuals, families, companies and foundations.
Because Knock Knock is still a work in progress, the cost of entry and hours of operation are not yet determined, said Project Manager Bell. “We are hoping to be a museum for all.”
There will be opportunities to sponsor a class fieldtrip. Bell said this will allow under-privileged schools, which may not be able to pay the cost of a fieldtrip, to experience it nonetheless.
The suggested ages for the learning zones are infants to eight years old, but older siblings can also enjoy the museum, promises Bell.
Job positioning will be phased in closer to the opening date. Bell said the museum currently has a staff of three, including her. The other two are Peter Olsen, executive director, and Katie Page, coordinator of educational resources and programs.