Milana Bakun, 5, center plays in the bubble room along with brother Micah, 3, right, and Zoya Miller, 3, at Gilbert House Children’s Museum on Tuesday, May 11, 2021. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter)
A $60,000 donation from the Rotary Club of Salem will pay for one of six new outdoor exhibits planned at A.C. Gilbert House Children’s Museum.
It’s among the larger donations to a capital campaign the nonprofit Salem museum has underway to tear down its aging outdoor play structure and replace it with exhibits focused on exploring water, sand and other natural elements.
The changes are intended to make the play area more accessible to children and provide a variety of activities kids can participate in, either by themselves or with adults.
The club selected the Salem museum as the recipient of its 2021-22 GoodWorks Grant from among 22 applications, according to a press release.
The grant program annually supports a project that provides for the health, education or general welfare of the Salem community, particularly young people, the release said. Grant applications for next year’s award will open in August or September, and the club has an auction on Feb. 12 at 5 p.m. to support the grant program. That event will be held at the Historic Grand Theatre.
Karin Holton, the museum’s promotions coordinator, said the museum has raised about $375,000 toward its $600,000 goal. The museum is planning to break ground in the fall and open the new area in February 2023.
-Rachel Alexander
