Ceremony celebrates new children’s museum in Las Vegas

It was an evening celebrating dreams fulfilled and promises for the future when the Discovery Children’s Museum was formally dedicated on Friday.

More than 800 invited guests, including major donors, volunteers and staff, gathered for the ceremony in front of the new $50 million museum, adjacent to The Smith Center for the Performing Arts in downtown’s Symphony Park.

Fittingly, children kicked off the festivities with performances by the choir from Gilbert Magnet School and Ellie Smith, 2012 Miss Nevada’s Outstanding Teen. Smith’s version of “Hero” moved many adults in the crowd to tears.

One of those who said he was struck by the moment was Gov. Brian Sandoval, who described the museum as “a beautiful family experience that will indeed be a place that inspires and a place where children can grow and be challenged.” He pledged to bring his own children for a visit.

Mayor Carolyn Goodman spoke of how the site was, not too long ago, a brown field and is now another point of pride for the Las Vegas community. She read a proclamation declaring Saturday, the day the museum opens, as Discovery Children’s Museum Day in the city.

Fred Smith, chairman of lead donor of the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, led the ribbon-cutting, which opened the doors for guests to explore the three-floor, 58,000-square-foot facility.

Among the displays is “The Summit,” a 70-foot tower encompassing all three floors. “Water World” celebrates the power and impact of water, while “Fantasy Festival” boasts a life-size ship, a castle with a throne room and a puppet show. “Toddler Town” reaches out to the smallest visitors.

There are many opportunities for hands-on experiences, from art and problem-solving to “Eco City’s” exploration of how people live and work. The first featured exhibit in the changing gallery will be “George Washington: New Views From Mount Vernon,” on loan from Washington’s Virginia estate through May 15.

“A world-class children’s museum of this caliber is long overdue for a community of our size and for our precious future leaders,” said Judy Cebulko, chairwoman of the museum’s board of trustees who hosted the dedication.

“We intend to build a culture where everyone feels welcome. We are going to work very, very hard to inspire visitors. We believe the museum and The Smith Center can be the hub for so much happening. At the dedication, I watched the children interact, and some — including my grandchildren — were crying when it was time to leave. We think we’ve raised the bar on children’s museums,” said Joyce Schneider, vice-chair of the museum board who also heads the education committee.

Youngsters in attendance offered their own opinions.

“I thought it was really amazing,” 12-year-old Ashtyn Fink said. “There was stuff for anyone, not just one age. I went through the big play structure. I loved the music. I also went through the art section, and that was cool. It has a dryer for pictures. You can paint and put it on the dryer.”

Max Maroe, 6, said: “I went to the place where they have the grocery store and the water. I made a parachute in the wind tunnel (turbine) area.”

His mother, Nicole, added: “He wants to go back (Saturday) and doesn’t believe it is closed. We’re going to drive by so he can see for himself.”

The museum will open at 10 a.m. Saturday, with the first 1,500 people getting in free.