Children’s Museum Of Oswego To Continue Improvements To Its Historic Building

by Contributor | August 20, 2021 8:22 am

OSWEGO – The Children’s Museum of Oswego will continue to invest in its historic building thanks to grants from the City of Oswego and Richard S. Shineman Foundation.

The scope of the project will include work to improve lighting and signage, the flow of people into and out of the building, and the function of the lobby space.

The museum has brought in visitors from across the region, and admission numbers are increasing after a difficult 2020. With over 13,000 admissions so far in 2021, CMOO is fast becoming a major local attraction. Even more notable is that over a third of admissions are coming from visitors outside of the immediate Oswego area, meaning the CMOO is drawing people from places like Syracuse, Fort Drum, and Baldwinsville to downtown Oswego.

“We’re thrilled to be the stewards of the Buckhout Jones and Goldberg buildings and to be a part of the changes that have taken place in downtown over the past few years,” said museum Executive Director, Kathryn Watson. “This grant funding will allow the museum to continue the work that was started with the first phase of renovations, making our lobby, entryways and exits functional for the volume of visitors we’re welcoming.”

With $15,000 coming from the City of Oswego’s Revival Grant fund and $55,000 from the Richard S. Shineman Foundation, CMOO will bring all areas of the building in line with the quality visitors have come to expect.

“It’s humbling that even in midst of a global pandemic we’re drawing these numbers,” Watson said. “We take our responsibility to the community seriously and it’s a really good feeling to know that we’re delivering on the promises that we’ve made.”

Noting that it is thanks to long-term supporters that CMOO is experiencing this level of success, Board of Directors President Eric Van Buren said “the City of Oswego and the Richard S. Shineman Foundation believed in the museum when it was just an idea on paper, and they continue to be essential partners as CMOO grows. The developments in downtown Oswego are truly inspiring. As a resident of downtown the museum is working diligently to keep up with the amazing progress being made. Without the support of the Richard S. Shineman Foundation or the City of Oswego many of these projects would not be as successful, and CMOO is no exception. We are lucky to have such involved support systems to give our downtown every chance to grow.”

The Children’s Museum of Oswego’s mission is to inspire children to learn, create, discover, and explore through the power of play. Open 6 days a week and located at 7 West Bridge Street, CMOO offers regularly scheduled programs, field trips, event space, and a place to learn, grow and play. Visit www.cmoo.org[1] to learn more.

Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/oswego/childrens-museum-of-oswego-to-continue-improvements-to-its-historic-building/

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