WS Chronicle

On Saturday Feb. 17, the public will have their first chance to experience what happens when experimental science and an art gallery collide when Kaleideum opens in downtown Winston-Salem. 

A combination of the words kaleidoscope and museum, Kaleideum is the result of the 2016 merger between SciWorks, a science museum, and the Children’s Museum. Located in the heart of downtown Winston-Salem on W. Third Street, the distinctive museum can be seen from a distance. Painted in a reflective white base color, covered in colorful shapes and patterns, construction for the five-story, 70,000 sq. ft. museum cost about $48 million, with most of the funding coming from Forsyth County and a fundraising campaign. 

While the architecture of the building instantly catches your eye, it’s what’s happening inside that will keep visitors of all ages coming back. 

The museum features nine different exhibit areas that perfectly blend fun and learning. For example, in the “Wonders of Water” exhibit, you can experience water in all its forms by controlling a waterfall, sculpting an ice block, and playing with light in a tunnel of fog. You can also create your own fish and add them to the digital aquarium. In the “By Design” exhibit, you can construct buildings, model furniture, craft pottery, and even design your own tattoo. Or the “Our Nature” exhibit, where you can zoom in on bird feathers or reptile scales, pretend you’re a wildlife veterinarian and much more. 

While giving a tour of the museum earlier this week, Elizabeth Dampier, who is the executive director of Kaleideum, said the entire museum is designed to be inclusive and encourage museum goers to ask questions, come up with their own ideas and try again.  

“A lot of the exhibits here aren’t just one liners, you don’t just do it and automatically get the answer; it’s how do you continue to challenge yourself and grow,” Dampier continued. “We like to say that learning and fun collide here because that’s what we’re trying to create.”

What makes Kaleideum even more inclusive is that it’s affordable. Admission for youth (ages 1-12) is $12, adult admission is $15 and for seniors over the age of 62 admission is $13. Educators are free with ID. Kaleideum is also part of the Museum for All program, which allows SNAP/EBT and WIC cardholders to pay only $3 per person for admission. There are also special rates for schools and groups of 10 or more. According to Dampier, you can also receive a day pass for the museum at the downtown Central Library.

“We’ve really been pushing our Museums for All program … that is one of our ways of saying everyone is welcome here,” Dampier continued. “It doesn’t matter where you come from, everyone should have an opportunity to learn together.”

Kaleideum will officially open its doors to the public on Saturday, Feb. 17, at 10 a.m. A ceremonial ribbon cutting ceremony will be held on Thursday, Feb. 15, at 11 a.m. Guests during the ribbon cutting will include Dampier, Forsyth County Commissioners Don Martin, and Kaleideum Board Chair Calvin McRae. 

For more information, visit www.kaleideum.org.