Kidsfirst
Children’s Museum
Imagine growing up in a log cabin,
attending a one-room schoolhouse, bargaining at a trading
post and moving across the wilderness in a Conestoga wagon.
You can, when you visit Kidsfirst Children’s Museum.
Kidsfirst engages children’s imaginations through hands-on
environments and provides fun ways for young ones to
discover history.
Kids can pretend to be pioneers in the
1830s in the log c
abin that’s complete with a child-sized
dining table, chair and bed, plus hands-on household items.
Climbing aboard a Conestoga wagon, they can make-believe
they're journeying cross-country to their new homestead. An
1838 map of South Bend, McGuffey Readers and
hand-crafted furniture give an authentic feel to the 1830s
one-room schoolhouse. Completing the pioneer village is a
hands-on trading post.
There’s
also a Native American village to explore--complete with an
authentic wigwam. Kids can “navigate” the St. Joseph
River in a life-sized canoe, dress in pioneer clothing and
discover animal tracks in an archaeology “dig,” too.
The Center for History is open Tuesday
through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 5
p.m. Admission ranges from $3 to $10, with special rates for
students ages 6 to 17 and seniors ages 60 and over. Children
under 2 are free.
