THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 24, 1995 TAG: 9502220110
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL CURRENTS
COLUMN: Ida Kay's Portsmouth
SOURCE: Ida Kay Jordan
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
A free adults-only visit to the Children's Museum of Virginia will be a good opportunity for citizens shy about going, without children, to Portsmouth's intriguing new place.
The adult tour will be the ``Museum Monday'' program Feb. 27 and it is open to the first 65 adults who call 393-8983 to reserve a space.
Don't let the name fool you! Like the circus, it's a place for children of all ages.
In fact, when you take children, you enjoy watching them enjoy. When you go without children, you become the happy participant.
Whether you're waving wands to make bubbles or breaking laser beams to make music, you will be absolutely caught up in the fun.
During the opening events for museum members and supporters, some young-at-heart women were kicking for the ceiling in the ``Art Moves.'' Grown men in tuxedos climbed across the wall in another exhibit.
Some grown-ups even engaged in real childhood fantasies, climbing into the cab of a fire truck and straddling a police motorcycle. When you read the instructions for some of the exhibits, you begin to remember all the physics you might think you never learned. You realize that this ``serious fun'' is about teaching kids while they have a good time.
A visit to the museum is a trip to remember. Most of all, for taxpayers it proves the wisdom of the decision to expand the museum.
Some citizens wondered about spending more than $1 million in tax dollars on the project that received about $1.5 million in private contributions. But many who have seen the new museum now want to see the second floor finished as quickly as possible.
Among other things, the second floor will house A.J. Lancaster's train and toy collections that will add a whole new dimension to the facility.
Some days ago, the attendance at the new museum passed 50,000. In the first two months the museum was open, it attracted as many people as were able to visit the maxed-out Children's Museum in the 1846 Courthouse in an entire year.
The numbers are impressive, but you can't really understand why until you experience the creative activities yourself. What might sound frivolous becomes serious as you play your way through some 60 exhibits.
In addition, the planetarium located within the museum and a show there are included in the normal admission fee.
The Children's Museum is not overrated, as some skeptics claim.
It will be featured in a regional tourism infomercial, ``Kids' Corner of Virginia.'' The 30-minute tape will be aired nationwide on the Family Channel in May. It also will be shown on other channels in New York and Pennsylvania.
The infomercial also will include the ferry boat ride across the Elizabeth River between Norfolk and Portsmouth and will show some scenes in Olde Towne.
Convention and Tourism Director Keith Toler said his office already is booking spring package tours that include a visit to the Children's Museum, lunch and a tour on the Carrie B.
In addition, he said, some tourists are buying a package that includes a visit to Nauticus in the morning, a ferry boat ride and a visit to the Children's Museum in the afternoon.
By the way, the museum can be rented for private parties in the evenings.
If you haven't been there and are wondering what all the commotion is about and why everybody thinks the Children's Museum is such a super place, call now to reserve your space for Museum Monday. by CNB