Find out all about the Soo Locks Children’s Museum

SAULT STE. MARIE — The Soo Locks Children’s Museum recently received a number of exhibits to help complete the renovation of the long-term project.

For nearly a decade, a group of community members have been raising money, designing exhibits, gathering community support, and renovating the space to bring the museum to life.

Located in downtown Sault, just a stone’s throw from the Soo Locks, the museum is intended as an educational tool to introduce children to one of the most important pieces of infrastructure in the UP and the science behind how the locks operate. work. .

While construction is still underway, museum officials said they hope to open to the public sometime in 2025.

Soo Locks Children’s Museum Board President Raquel Fernandez-Earns spoke to the Evening News about the recent updates:

Q: How did the Soo Locks Children’s Museum even start?

A: In 2016 it was determined that a museum would fill a great need in this area, our school district is the largest in Michigan. We cover approximately 4,000 square kilometers and have a child poverty rate of almost 30%, and there is not much in the way of healthy, safe and affordable recreation for our children.

Q: What is the main purpose of the museum?

A: Our mission is to create an interactive environment that stimulates children’s curiosity and learning in science, technology, engineering, art and math. We know that there is an urgent need for our children to have a place where they can be socially engaged, where they can learn cognitively. These are opportunities for healthy socialization, quality family time and we know this museum is suitable for all developmental levels.

Q: How did you come up with these new exhibits?

A: This is very exciting for us. The Great Lakes Children’s Museum in Traverse City moved to a new location and they no longer needed their current exhibits as they were getting new ones. So we were lucky that they contacted us to see if we were interested in these exhibits.

There are people who donated the money for these exhibitions: Craig and Kathy Flickinger. Thanks to them, we get over $200,000 worth of exhibits for $8,000. They brought three truckloads of museum exhibits to the Sault.

There are now fifteen exhibits, including wall displays of the Great Lakes where the shipwrecks are located, maps that navigate the Great Lakes, exhibits on invasive species and other fish species in the Great Lakes. These are really informative exhibitions and they will be very exciting for our children, and they are in excellent condition.

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Q: What are examples of exhibitions you are currently working on?

A: We have plans for a number of exhibitions. One of the largest is a very long water table that will cover two rooms and one side of the water table will be science based. We will have a miniature lock and all kinds of interactive parts that children can work with. They can experiment, they can build boats and try them out in the water.

The other half will be the natural water table, and that side of the museum will be completely nature-based. That water exhibit will recreate the St. Marys River and will really highlight the indigenous history of this area, which spans thousands of years.

Q: Have you received a lot of support from the community?

A: We have been really supported for our fundraising efforts. Our local community has donated so much in the form of silent auction prizes and other events. I think we’ve been able to build some good relationships with businesses locally.

These organizations come to us and say, “Hey, we decided we wanted to donate to your organization.” And that’s really moving, because this involves the entire community, and it really means a lot to us and I think it speaks to the need that we have in this community for our children.

— Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@Sooeveningnews.com

This article originally appeared on The Sault News: Q&A: Find out all about the Soo Locks Children’s Museum