This year marked the eighth year in our current location, and we think 2022 was the best year yet! The Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota is growing and changing, while still maintaining a focus on PLAY. Our impact in the community is far-reaching, and we could not do it without all of your support. Let’s take a look at how our numbers* stacked up this year!
(*At the time of writing, which was in fact a few days before the end of the year.)
128,999
The number of views on our website
86,716
The number of visitors to the Museum
24,960
The number of times the excavator in the Dig It! Exhibit has been used
24,394
Square feet acquired in the purchase of the land adjacent to the Museum
11,117
The number of people who follow us on Facebook; are you one of them?
3,999
The number of students who came with a group visit
2,286
The number of Museum Members
882
The number of Instagram posts; are you following us? Tag us in your photos!
717
Cups of coffee sold in the cafe
571
The number of free admissions provided through the Museum’s Blue Star program
145
The number of free admissions provided on Military Appreciation Days
130
The most caterpillars at one time in the Butterfly House–so much milkweed!
90
The number of gingerbread houses made in the four-day workshop period
52
The number of Gateway to Play Community Partners
46
The number of times the Bookmobile came to visit the Museum
32
The number of blog posts–wait! Now it’s 33!
23
The number of Museum employees (we also use contractors and consultants, so this number is deceptively low for how much work gets done)
19
The number of Board Members who help make decisions for the Museum
9
The number of grants the Museum received to support our funding
8
The number of chicks hatched AND the number of Prairie Exploration Backpacks checked out
6
The number of times we had animals visit the Museum this year
5
The number of new programs at the Museum (Art Explorers, STEAM Explorers, Outdoor Explorers, LEGO Explorers, and Early Out Days)
4.8
Our rating on Google reviews! Have you left a review for us yet? We’d love to read it!
3
The number of fire trucks at Fire Safety Education Day
1
The number of times we changed our branding
0
The number of times we changed our mission; we believe in the power of PLAY! If you believe in it, too, then we can’t wait to see you in 2023!