YOUR AD HERE »

KidZone Museum in Truckee unveils new fairy tale exhibit

Special to the Sun
The exhibit "Once Upon A Time … In A Kingdom Far Away" opened in June.
Courtesy Greyson Howard |

TRUCKEE, Calif. — The KidZone Museum in Truckee recently opened a new Fairy tale-themed “Once Upon A Time … In A Kingdom Far Away” exhibition to encourage learning through hands-on play.

The interactive exhibit features a castle, a stage with working lights and curtains, a cottage in the wood and a ship, built by 60 volunteers who put in 1,000 hours of time building, plus a year of planning and about $37,000 in gifts and donations.

“This new exhibit really came together thanks to a lot of community support,” said Suzanne Montgomery, a board member for the museum and a member of the exhibit committee. “A lot of people came together to make it an extraordinary learning experience for children and families.”



The goal of the exhibit is to inspire learning through hands-on play, said Ileana Vokel, the program manager for the museum.

“Feedback is really good so far. Parents say they love the attention to detail seen in this installation,” Vokel said. “The kids love it too, but they love it every time.”



The exhibition’s focus on play and literacy will change twice during the two-and-a-half-year run, each featuring a different genre of fairy tail.

Local nationally renowned artist Susie Alexander painted the murals that cover the walls for each change.

“KidZone Museum isn’t a structured program — we encourage free play, to use imagination and create their own world without adult intervention,” said Stephanie Bright, president of the KidZone Museum board. “Parents can come and get involved and meet other parents too.”

The Museum is grateful for the help of exhibit committee volunteers Jerry Johnsen Alice Meng, Suzanne Montgomery, Maggie Schumacher, and Ann Tavan.

Additional support came from Blackwood Construction, Mountain View Construction, Spin Shaffer, JKGD Architecture & Engineering, Kelly Moore Paints, Truckee Tahoe Lumber Co., Kelly Brothers Painting, the Montgomery Family, Susie Alexander, Sugar Bowl Academy 8th grade, SELS 6th Graders and Truckee River Glass.

Financial support came from the Bessie Minor Swift Foundation, First 5 Placer County, Lahontan Community Foundation and Martis Camp Foundation.

The museum does charge admission, but offers scholarships to insure families from across the community can use the museum. Buses connecting from Kings Beach also ensure a wide range of children and parents are able to visit.

The museum currently has many scholarships available for summer camps thanks to Soroptimist Club of Truckee and Tahoe Institute of Natural Science.

For those interested in taking a free board guided-tour on June 23 at 9 a.m., call 530-587-5437 to reserve a spot. Kidzone is located at 11711 Donner Pass Road in Truckee.

This article was provided on behalf of the nonprofit KidZone Museum. Visit kidzonemuseum.org to learn more.


Support Local Journalism

 

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Lake Tahoe, Truckee, and beyond make the Sierra Sun's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Your donation will help us continue to cover COVID-19 and our other vital local news.