View of the museum

Explore & More - The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Children's Museum is a museum located at 130 Main St. in Buffalo, New York. It was founded in 1994^[1] in East Aurora, New York.

The museum, which opened its Canalside location in 2019^[2], celebrates the power of child-led play with four floors of fun to explore. The 43,000 sq. ft. museum sits at the crossroads between replica canals and bridges that have become year-round community destinations.^[3] The museum reflects that sense of place with thoughtfully crafted exhibits that help children develop a deeper sense of our world, our community and their place in it in a fun and engaging way for children and adults alike.

Seven educational play zones offer hands-on exhibits that tell the unique story of Buffalo and what makes us proud to be from Western New York. The zones reveal stories of the region’s history, geography, culture, agriculture, architecture, athletics, commerce and innovation through exhibits that celebrate the power and benefits of play. Guests can learn about the region’s past roots with child-led and family friendly play that helps develop the whole child. These exhibits are located on the second, third and fourth floors of the museum.

Current exhibits include:^[4]

Being Good Neighbors: Learn about the diverse mix of cultures and families that make up Buffalo Niagara’s neighborhoods. This child-sized street has three homes that look similar from the outside, but inside you’ll find that their furnishings, decorations and traditions are very different. The homes invite us to celebrate differences and explore similarities among our neighbors. In partnership with local cultural groups, the museum will introduce new neighbors and new cultures to the neighborhood over time.

Moving Water: Life in Buffalo is tied to the water: the dynamic ports, canals and harbor have long fueled our city’s prosperity and innovation. Come follow the waterways through time as they carry boats, move people and power Buffalo. Our iconic two-story waterfall cascades down into a water table where children of all ages learn about the Erie Canal, how locks work, and how electricity is produced.

Driving Buffalo's Dreams: Driving Buffalo’s Dreams is a fully accessible, completely immersive exhibit that puts children in the driver’s seat.  Design your own vehicle, and drive it through the streets of Buffalo in a larger-than-life projection of the city, then roll up your sleeves and perform maintenance on the vehicle.  There’s even a Hot Wheels repair station.

Car Wash: The immersive Car Wash exhibit is the first and only one of its kind! It will engage children by taking them through the wash, rinse, and dry phases of a car wash. From liquid floors to a vacuum wall and a heat-activated color-changing vehicle, children will be able to play with every aspect of the exhibit. Additionally, the car wash is accessible to everyone.

Playing Together: We want you on our team! Families can run, move, play and see what it feels like to be a part of the sports teams that make Buffalo great. Try on gear from different teams to imagine yourself as different kinds of athletes, or join in the fun by trying out different sports challenges with your friends.

Lighting Buffalo's Imagination: Come explore the ideas and innovations that have fueled Buffalo’s prosperity and continue to power new ideas through wonder, discovery and imagination. Children and adults alike will enjoy exploring STEM concepts through hands-on experimentation as they are inspired by native innovators of our past, while considering the unlimited possibilities of their own creative and inventive future.

Building Buffalo: Be inspired by Buffalo’s storied architectural history. Work together to construct your own great structures out of different building materials. Step into a construction zone and design, experiment and build anything imaginable, including a bridge, a house and a city. Imagine yourself as the next great architect, builder or urban planner.

Farm to Fork: Follow your food from farm to table! On our farm you can plant, grow and harvest your crops, as well as care for a milking cow and some chickens. Load your produce onto a small-scale huckster truck and sell it at the farmer’s market. If all that work builds up your appetite, cook your farm-fresh finds in our farmhouse play kitchen.

Rooftop Terrace: The fourth floor terrace offers unprecedented views of of the Buffalo city skyline with a crystal clear view of the fireworks show at the Buffalo Bisons’ Sahlen Field. The zone will have a barn feature, a windmill, wind and music instruments, along with various plantings to soak up the sunshine.

Community Treehouse: The Community Treehouse immerses visitors in a breathtaking Western New York woodland scene, taking the concept of an inclusive outdoor playground and transporting it indoors with a whimsical twist. The Treehouse structure is accessible to everyone, including guests in wheeled mobility devices.

The museum also features a cooking galley, an art studio and a tinkering tank.

Explore & More has developed customized visual, social, communicative, sensory, and behavioral supports.^[5] Guests will find these supports throughout the museum – from sensory backpacks and call-ahead accommodations, to sensory-friendly rooms.

Many of the former exhibits from the East Aurora location were donated to the Children's Activity Corner of Jamestown.^[6] On February 14, 2018, the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation awarded a $6 million grant to the museum and the then-under construction Canalside museum was re-named in honor of Wilson.^[7]

• 
  A Studio for Anderson
• 
  Driving Buffalo's Dreams
• 
  Waterwheel
• 
  Stairway to upper floor
• 
  Buffalo Innovation

References

External links

• Explore & More - official site

42°52′40.4″N 78°52′41.1″W / 42.877889°N 78.878083°W / 42.877889; -78.878083