BUFFALO, N.Y. — It's a project years in the making, a new-and-improved Explore & More—the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Children's Museum. Located right along the replica canals, it's sure to be a hit with kids and families all year long.
Daybreak got an exclusive look inside the new exhibits and a peek of what's still to come.
The City of Good Neighbors
The City of Good Neighbors Exhibit invites children to explore the cultural diversity among Western New York. Each home on the child-sized street looks similar on the outside, but is celebrates different traditions and decorations on the inside.
Celebrating Buffalo's History
Nestled between two of the Great Lakes, situated along the Niagara River, and given great prosperity by the Erie Canal, life in Buffalo is always tied to water. The Moving Water Exhibit features a two-story waterfall and allows children to learn about the our great waterways, how locks work, and how electricity is produced.
Inside the Explore & More Hospital
The Learning, Caring, Healing Exhibit is modeled after Oishei Children's Hospital. Here, kids explore medical innovation.
Buffalo Sports Tribute
The Playing Together Exhibit gives kids the opportunity to be a part of Buffalo's great sport community.
Snacking Along the Canal
All this fun makes for some hearty appetites. Visitors can satisfy their cravings at the LowBridge Cafe located on the ground floor. The cafe will be open year round to museum goers as well as casual diners.
Something for Everyone
To make each child's visit as engaging as possible, Explore & More has customized visual, social, communicative, sensory, and behavioral supports. The museum's full-time Inclusion & Access Coordinator facilitates call-ahead planning for parents with children with special needs and facilitates school groups to ensure a successful visit.
Downtown Farming
Drawing on Buffalo’s rich agricultural history, at the Farm to Fork Exhibit children can plant, grow, and harvest their own crops, then cook up their fresh finds in the farmhouse kitchen.
Explore & More is open to the public, but during construction has limited days and hours. The Museum team says parents should keep and eye on their website for open dates. Parents should also reserve tickets online before coming down to Canalside.
