MEMORIES WANTED
The Magic House collecting 30 years of memories

Since first opening to the public on October 16, 1979, The Magic House has been helping families make memories, and now we want them back! In celebration of our 30th birthday, The Magic House is collecting memories and photos for a special memory wall to be put on display throughout our whole birthday year. Visitors of the past and present are invited to remember the magic and share their favorite memories of The Magic House over the years.

So, dust off those cobwebs and search the corners of your mind. Go through the photo albums and dig out those old Magic House buttons. Think back to that first hair-raising experience or thrilling ride down the three-story slide. Take a trip down memory lane and share your family’s favorite stories involving a trip to The Magic House. Did something funny happen at a birthday party? Did your child take their first steps because they were curious about an exhibit? Did a field trip inspire you to become a teacher?

Or do you have a photo button from when you were eight years old and now your eight-year-old daughter has one too? Is your son’s favorite exhibit the same one you loved as a child? Did you bring your children to The Magic House when it was a 5,500-square-foot local children’s museum, and now you’re bringing your grandchildren to a 50,000-square-foot national attraction?

Whether the memories are from 30 years ago or just the other day, The Magic House would love to hear from you. Please submit your memories and photos to The Magic House at 516 S. Kirkwood Rd., St. Louis, MO 63122 or email them to info@magichouse.org by Wednesday, September 16.

For more information, please contact Vicki Muhs at 314-822-8900 ext. 16. If you would like photos or other important items returned at the end of the year, please include your name and address on the back. Thanks for the memories!

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Once Upon a Time…Exploring the World of Fairy Tales
Now through September 7

Step inside beloved stories from around the globe in this hands-on exhibit that brings favorite multicultural fairy tales to life. Once Upon a Time…
Exploring the World of Fairy Tales is the first nationally touring exhibit devoted exclusively to fairy tales and the breadth of their cultural significance. Enter the larger-than-life pages of these seven favorite tales: Anansi and the Talking Melon, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, The Elves and the Shoemaker, Jack and the Beanstalk, Lon Po Po and Thumbelina.

Once Upon a Time…Exploring the World of Fairy Tales is a collaborative effort of The Magic House, St. Louis Children’s Museum and the St. Louis Public Library and is made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Sunshine Classroom
Open April 1 through October 31

Beginning Wednesday, April 1, kids can experience magic inside and out thanks to The Magic House’s new outdoor exhibit, the Sunshine Classroom. The Sunshine Classroom isn’t just your garden variety classroom, it really is a garden! This unique open-air classroom located on the rooftop terrace of the Mezzanine in the museum’s new 25,000-square-foot expansion gives children the opportunity to dig in different types of soil, explore a variety of seeds, identify plant parts and learn about the importance of insects and worms to the growing process, all while using real tools including shovels, plant misters, thermometers and magnifying glasses. Children are sure to dig this exhibit, literally!

Another feature of the Sunshine Classroom that will have kids squirming with excitement is the Earthworm Crawl. Kids worm their way through a tunnel while learning important facts about these subterranean superheroes. Located in the interior entrance of the Sunshine Classroom, the Earthworm Crawl provides opportunities year-round for children to appreciate the importance of worms in our environment.

A focal point of the Sunshine Classroom is Growing Vegetable Soup, a colorful gardening exhibit based on the award-winning book of the same name by children’s author and illustrator Lois Ehlert. This exhibit displays oversized pages of the book, which follows the progress of a parent and child as they plant, water, weed, and finally pick vegetables to make soup. Children cook up some fun and experience the book firsthand working with soil, shovels, rakes, trowels and ladles as they follow the journey from seed to pot. It’s sure to be a “soup”er good time!

Play It Cool
Opens May 25

Let’s play outside! This summer, kids can experience magic inside and out thanks to The Magic House’s new Play Garden and a very special program called “Play It Cool.” “Play It Cool” will take place May 25 – September 7 and will promote old-fashioned, outdoor recreation with a variety of themed play activities such as water play, parachute play, jump ropes, balls, circle games and outdoor art. “Play It Cool” activities will be available Monday – Saturday from 10:30 am – 4:00 pm and Sunday from 11:30 am – 4:00 pm. A different activity will be featured each week.

Play it Cool is sponsored by NorthStar Frozen Treats.

Curious George:
Let’s Get Curious!
September 26, 2009–January 24, 2010

If you’re curious about our newest traveling exhibit, grab your little monkeys and swing on over to The Magic House September 26 - January 24 for a little monkey business. Get ready for a swinging good time at Curious George: Let’s Get Curious, an exhibit based on the popular children’s books and PBS Kids television series. This is one exhibit, visitors are sure to go bananas over!

At Curious George: Let’s Get Curious, kids can step into the world of Curious George and satisfy their curiosity in science, math and engineering through experience and problem solving just like George. Hang out in George’s neighborhood and tagalong on his adventures as you operate wheels to help George clean the windows of an apartment building, climb a fire escape, sort and weigh fruits and vegetables at a produce stand, use science skills to putt a hole in mini golf, climb the rocket from George’s space adventure, build a whirligig at the farm, use conveyers and levers at a construction site and visit the Museum within the Museum. This exhibit is sure to produce lots of ooh, ooh, oohs and ahs!

There is a lot to monkey see and monkey do, so stop by The Magic House and get curious!

Ninth Annual
Not-So-Haunted House
October 23–25
October 30–November 1

If you’re looking for some family-friendly Halloween fun this year, you’re in luck! You and your kiddies are invited to cross The Magic House’s path October 23 – October 25 and October 30 – November 1 during normal museum hours for the Ninth Annual Not-So-Haunted House!

It’s the Not-So-Haunted House that is oh-so-fun! Kids of all ages are invited to dress in their most “boo”tiful Halloween costumes and have a ghoulishly good time getting autographs from their favorite storybook characters and trick-or-treating throughout the museum. This year’s Halloween event will include a special visit from more than 15 storybook characters from favorite children’s tales such as Harry Potter; Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz, and more!

And for the older boys and ghouls (5-14 years) there’s the Haunted Trail. Get ready for screams of delight as you enter the twisting mazes of the Haunted Trail in the pitch black armed only with a flashlight. There is no turning back when it comes to the ghostly fun that is awaiting you!

Each child attending this spooktacular event will receive a trick-or-treat bag and an autograph book for the not-so-spooky characters to sign as they trick-or-treat throughout four levels of the 100-year-old Not-So-Haunted House (a.k.a. The Magic House). This fright-free fun is free with museum admission. Beware, while the Not-So-Haunted House won’t be scary, it could still make your hair stand on end!