The North East Texas Children’s Museum will open in a new location on university premises at Watson Cafeteria on Feb. 1.
“I believe moving to the new location will help our collaboration with the university,” said marypaz, executive director of Children’s Museum. “Having our own building will increase our credibility. We hope to work close to the university community from our new location.”
The museum will lease the Watson Cafeteria Building located at Culver Street opposite to Holiday Inn Express. It will be in the same lot as A&M-Commerce Children’s Learning Center. The museum was previously located at 2216 Live Oak Street in the University Shopping Center.
“Thanks to the Hunt County Commissioner Jim Latham, workers from Hunt County jail helped us move. Robert Rabb and his construction crew will also help in the moving process. We have several community volunteers too. Moving has been a total community effort,” said marypaz.
According to the museum Web site, “The Northeast Texas Children’s Museum is a place where children can go and pretend to be anything imaginable and feel what it is like to be a doctor, dentist, fire fighter, artist, teacher, pilot, TV personality, farmer, judge, and more.” The museum has been organizing joint tours with university planetarium.
Besides the exhibit for children, the museum also provides internship opportunity to A&M-C students.
“I have had business students from the university help me with the Web site,” said marypaz. “I have had a marketing intern. Our employees have always been from the university and we are even planning on work-study positions for A&M-C students at the museum.”
Wyman Williams, president of the museum’s board of directors, has been involved with the organization since its inception in 2001.
“The children’s museum was a dream that, with time and the continued faith and financial support of the people of Commerce and the surrounding cities, has come to be a reality that opens our kids’ eyes and minds and gives them a place to grow their own dreams,” he said. “As a non-profit organization, we’re very much going to continue to need the support and financial backing of a community that so obviously values the kind of learning that a facility like this offers our children.”
He added that, as the museum moves into this exciting new phase, there couldn’t be a better time for long-time donors to renew their pledges and, for those who haven’t yet visited the museum to come in and see what a fun and unique educational environment is available right here in Commerce.
The museum will be closed for final moving from Sunday, Jan. 28, to Wednesday, Jan. 31, and will re-open on Thursday, Feb. 1. Operating hours are Monday through Saturday 10 to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 pm.
For more information, visit the museum Web site at www.netxcm.org or call marypaz at 903-886-06055.