News Article | 9/19/2006

Dallas Children’s Museum, Museum of Nature & Science merge

The Dallas Children’s Museum and the Museum of Nature & Science are merging.

The merger should take place within the next three months. In the meantime, exhibits from the Children’s museum at Valley View Center, will move immediately to space that is used by the Museum of Nature & Science’s Kids Place in Fair Park.

The Children’s museum closed Sunday to make the move and will reopen next month.

The combined museum, which will be called the Children’s Museum at the Museum of Nature & Science, will ultimately move to a new location in Dallas’ Victory Park.

“This merger is a positive step for both organizations,” said Nicole Small, CEO of the Museum of Nature & Science. “Our missions are extremely complementary … Having learned from the success of The Science Place-Dallas Museum of Natural History merger, we know that this partnership will allow us to further leverage the community’s investment into innovative new programming and engaging exhibitions.”

The Museum of Nature & Science will add Shannon McKay, currently executive director of the Children’s Museum, to its team to help oversee the transition. It also will bring on board Margie Sibrizzi, an early childhood education specialist, to work with the Nature & Science education team to continue offering programs for toddlers and young children.