Utica, NY – Families across the region have been waiting with anticipation for the opening date of the all NEW Utica Children’s Museum and today the museum team is happy to announce that doors will open to the public on May 1, 2025! With this news, UCM also is excited to announce Memberships are now available for purchase.
The fabrication and installation team from Phoenix Rising in Florida has been in Utica since early February, working hard to get each piece in place. They are currently installing the completely custom 60+ exhibits throughout the second floor, after completing the impressive two-story Climber in the museum’s new 4,000 square foot rotunda.
The museum will feature six new galleries – The Climber, Seasons, World Market, Build It Up, Let’s Experiment and The Cove, along with a multi-purpose room to host birthday parties and programming and a meeting area in the rotunda to welcome groups and events.
Timeline: Now through early April – Installation
April – Training and Testing (Safety, Capacity, etc.)
Open to the Public – May 1
“Our team has been working tirelessly to get the museum up and running, and we are SO excited for this milestone announcement to the public!” says Meghan Fraser McGrogan, Executive Director. “This means we’re closer to inviting children and their families to experience this amazing project first hand. We can’t wait to see their reactions to our all NEW museum!”
Here are all the details to purchase a UCM Membership today!
Utica Children’s Museum is managed by
Membership Offer:
Purchase by April 30, 2025 and get 13 months (one month FREE)!
Membership will starts with the member’s first visit to the museum.
To purchase:
http://www.UticaChildrensMuseum.org > Join and Support > Membership
Annual Membership Levels:
Family: $140 – 2 named adults • any 2 children
Family Plus: $160 – 2 named adults • any 4 children
Family Premium: $200 – 2 named adults • any 6 children
Extra named adults – 2 additional adults may be added at $25 each
Membership levels will pay for themselves in just 2-3 visits to the museum throughout the year!
Friends of the Museum Levels:
Friends of the Museum: $500
- 3 named adults • any 6 children
- Recognition as a Friend of the Museum in our annual report
- Helps support ongoing museum programming, supplies and more!
Friends of the Museum Plus – $1,000
- 4 named adults • any 6 children
- Recognition as a Friend of the Museum in our annual report
- Helps support programs like free admission days for our community, Mobile Museum visits and more!
General Admission Pricing:
Adults and children: $15
Children under 1: Free
Museums For All (ID and EBT card required): $3
Upon opening, the museum will have timed ticketing. Those with memberships purchased by April 30 will have the first chance to book their visit.
Museum Hours:
Wednesday-Saturday: 10am-4:30pm
Sundays from 10am-3pm
Birthday party and field trip booking information is expected to be released in April, and will be available for events occurring in June.
All membership levels enjoy the following benefits:
- FREE admission every visit
- Discounts in gift shop
- Member exclusive events
- Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) Reciprocal— 50% off general admission for up to 6 guests at more than 200 children’s museums within the U.S., including the MOST, Oswego Children’s Museum, Ithaca Sciencenter, Saratoga Children’s Museum, The Strong National Museum of Play and more!
For more information regarding Utica Children’s Museum, please visit http://www.UticaChildrensMuseum.org
About Utica Children’s Museum
The new Utica Children’s Museum will be located in the Parkway District of Utica on the corner of Holland Avenue and Memorial Parkway. It will create an entirely new experience for families in the Mohawk Valley. The new museum is part of a larger project of ICAN—the development of a first-of-its-kind Family Resource Center that houses ICAN family-based programs, a Community Room available for other organizations, and the Museum. With over 60 years of history, the Utica Children’s Museum is one of the oldest children’s museums in the country.
