Boston Children’s Museum was founded in Jamaica Plain in 1913 by the Science Teachers’ Bureau, a group of educators who wanted students and teachers to have access to objects, specimens, and other materials for science education. The museum embraced hands-on learning long before the term became standard. In 1964, it opened What’s Inside?, described by the museum as the first fully interactive exhibit of its kind.
The museum moved to Fort Point Channel in 1979, taking over part of a former wool warehouse built during the late nineteenth century. Boston once served as the country’s main marketplace for wool, and warehouses filled much of the surrounding neighborhood. The old industrial building gave the museum more space and placed it closer to downtown and public transportation.
A $47 million renovation and expansion was completed in 2007, increasing the museum to 88,000 square feet of exhibit space. The project preserved the brick warehouse while adding a modern glass entrance along the channel. The building became Boston’s first LEED-certified green museum, though most children entering are understandably more interested in the three-story climbing structure.
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