GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — The effort to create Grand Haven’s first children’s museum is gaining momentum, with organizers proposing to take over a portion of Central Park Place.
The idea was introduced to the Grand Haven City Council on Monday, with organizers proposing a public-private partnership that would allow the museum to lease between 13,500 and 18,500 square feet of the building while renovating and expanding the main floor.
WATCH: Grand Haven Children's Museum proposal heats up with Central Park Place location
The process to bring a children’s museum to Grand Haven began three years ago. Rachel Dody, founder of the museum, is a mother of three whose children are big fans of children’s museums.
“We were always driving to other communities for cool resources like that,” Dody said.
After several hourlong car rides to museums in places such as Ludington and Fennville, Dody said she got an idea.
“I kind of put it together and said, ‘Oh well, if communities like this can have a children’s museum, couldn’t Grand Haven?’” Dody said.
In 2022, she began talking with parents and found she wasn’t alone. She created a board, started fundraising, and formed a search committee to look at potential options.
Dody said organizers “were hoping to be at Chinook Pier,” but city council members told them that location “wasn’t the vision that community members had in mind.” Central Park Place, she said, was also one of their top choices.
“Its location near downtown and Centertown is what made it so special,” Dody said.
Organizers plan to expand and renovate the main floor, creating a new kid-friendly entrance off the courtyard. The museum will feature mostly hands-on exhibits, and organizers hope to add a STEM space, a makers space and an art studio.
Any upgrades or expansions will remain city property. Public access to the main entry, hallway, Mackinaw Room and theater will remain open.
Organizers proposed paying $2,150 per month while construction is underway. Once the museum is fully operational, rent would drop to $1 per year.
While Mayor Bob Monetza raised concerns about the rent, Dana Kollewehr, Grand Haven assistant city manager, said “it is a challenge” to keep the building occupied year-round. Kollewehr said the city typically collects “a few hundred thousand dollars” from rentals and supports operations through the general fund with roughly an additional $200,000.
Organizers estimate the museum could generate $5.8 million a year in economic impact and save the city $128,000 annually through shared utilities and reduced staffing needs.
CENTRAL PARK PLACE PROPOSAL:
- LEASE: 13,500sqft. - 18,500sqft
- Rent during construction: $2,150/month
- Rent once operational: $1/year - Museum fully funds main level expansion including new kid-friendly entrance off the courtyard at NO cost to the city
- FEATURES: Hands-on exhibits, STEM space, makers space, art studio
- Public access to main entry, hallway, and restrooms, as well as the theater, the Mackinaw Room, the catering kitchen and office space will remain.
Grand Haven would join a number of West Michigan communities with their own children’s museums. Curious Kids’ Museum & Discovery Zone in St. Joseph is roughly 1,000 square feet smaller than the museum proposed in Grand Haven and draws about 85,000 visitors a year. Dody said organizers hope for similar numbers.
“To have a young, vibrant community, you need to attract kids and families, and you need to have fun resources like this,” Dody said.
The Grand Haven City Council will decide on the proposal in the coming weeks. Dody said she hopes her days of long treks to the nearest museum could soon be behind her.
“Parenting is the hardest and most important job in the world, and to have your community provide a resource like a children’s museum means the world,” Dody said.
