WS Chronicle

SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

The Children’s Museum of Winston-Salem and SciWorks are pleased to announce that the two organizations are officially merged as of July 1, 2016. Effective immediately, memberships and benefits are reciprocal at both locations.

“The support and dedication of our members are important to our success today and into the future,” says Elizabeth Dampier, Executive Director – Museum. “We are excited that members of both museums will immediately see more benefits for their membership. For example, a family holding a Children’s Museum membership will also have free admission to SciWorks and be able to receive discounts on birthday parties, camps etc., at that location — and vice versa!”

The new membership structure is:

*Adult + Child Membership: $75. Add one additional child for $20.

*Grandparent Membership: $95. Includes both grandparents and all grandchildren.

*Family Membership: $135. Includes up to four adults and all children, as well as reciprocal benefits with museums affiliated with ASTC (Association of Science –Technology Centers) and ACM (Association of Children’s Museums).

“Purchasing a Family Membership gives a family the most benefits, including free or discounted access to science centers and children’s museums worldwide,” says Paul Kortenaar, Ph.D, Executive Director – Community. “However, we know that many families may not require that level of access, thus we have memberships at lower price points. Also, current members of either museum can renew their Family Memberships at a discounted price of$125.”

There are exciting challenges ahead for the merged museum. “As we determine the best direction forward, we know there are many unanswered questions,” Kortenaar says. “The two museums will remain in their current locations as we work toward combining opera-tions into a single building in downtown Winston-Salem that will transform the visitor experience. In all decisions, we are trying to provide the best educational opportunities for the children in our community and beyond.”

The Children’s Museum of Winston-Salem was founded by the Junior League of Winston- Salem and opened its doors as a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit on November 20, 2004. SciWorks was founded by the Junior League of Winston-Salem and opened its doors as the Nature Science Center in 1964. The two museums began talks of a possible collaboration in early 2015, with a new mission of “Inspiring wonder, curiosity, and lifelong learning in our children and community through interactive play and discovery.” The merged entity will combine the best features of both museums, fusing arts, literacy, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) orientations into an integrated approach to learning. For more information, visit childrensmuseumofws.org and sciworks.org.