The Children’s Museum Preschool will remain open at Emanuel Synagogue in West Hartford, and the thriving Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton will also continue current operations.

By Ronni Newton

The Children’s Museum moved from 950 Trout Brook Drive to temporary quarters at Emanuel Synagogue in West Hartford in the fall of 2022, remaining committed to its mission and goal of finding a permanent new home, and now as the organization was forced to make the difficult decision to close its physical museum following extensive water damage, they remain optimistic about the future.

“Sometimes when there are challenges, those challenges force a new path that we have to choose for ourselves,” said Missy DiNunno, who has been The Children’s Museum’s executive director since July 2024.

In the fall of 2025, the museum had just completed and was excited to share the re-imagination of its space on the lower level of Emanuel Synagogue, and was planning to remain in the location for a few more years. On Nov. 13, however, a plumbing malfunction caused a flood, with several inches of water severely damaging the flooring.

The museum has been closed since then, and a comprehensive assessment by both the museum and Emanuel Synagogue determined that the amount of restoration needed to reopen the facility would be far more extensive than they originally thought, and would also require moving all of the exhibits, and roughly 100 animals, out of and then back into the space.

On Tuesday, DiNunno said that The Children’s Museum Board of Directors and its leadership made the difficult decision not to reopen the physical museum, but instead to focus and grow its off-site programs – the “Mobile Museum” – as a way to continue its mission of bringing hands-on interactive learning and creative exploration to children and families.

“It was always going to be a temporary location at Emanuel,” DiNunno said, and they had already needed to contract exhibit space and knew it wasn’t the best place for a museum long-term. She said the initial lease was ending this August.

The TCM Mobile Museum will bring STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) experiences directly to schools, libraries, and community centers, in Connecticut and throughout the region. “From live animal encounters featuring mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects that teach students about adaptations, habitats, and conservation, to thrilling hands-on demonstrations exploring physical science, life science, and engineering concepts, we offer customizable programs that align with grade-level standards,” an announcement states.

The TCM Mobile Museum – which will travel in The Children’s Museum van or by car –  includes a “spectacular portable planetarium with 360° projections using the STARLAB dome, inquiry-based hands-on programs covering earth science to technology, and specially designed early childhood programs for ages 3 to 5 that align with Connecticut Early Learning and Development Standards.”

They have STEAM programs that can be brought to science fairs and other school events, all designed to inspire curiosity and exploration.

They are also in talks with a nonprofit about space to host birthday parties, DiNunno said.

And for those with existing memberships will still have a place to visit. “The Lutz Children’s Museum (in Manchester) has agreed to honor our memberships,” DiNunno said. “The children’s museum community is a tight one, and I’ve just been blown away by their generosity,” she said. The Children’s Museum is giving Lutz some of their exhibits.

They have a dedicated and committed staff of full-time educators who have been doing outreach programs all along, since a restructuring after the initial move. “We will not have to do any reduction in force when we close the museum,” DiNunno said.

Operations at the The Children’s Museum Preschool, located on the second floor of the space, were not impacted by the flood and will be unchanged – with the exception of the introduction of some new class pets – reptiles that will be housed in their classrooms and cared for by the preschoolers along with museum staff. Some of the exhibits have also been moved to a large room in the preschool area, and museum educators will continue to give lessons to the students.

Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton will remain open, and many of the museum’s animals will be relocated there. Since it’s also a wildlife center, “it makes great sense,” DiNunno said.

While not all of the animals will be able to remain within the organization, DiNunno said, they will be properly cared for. “We are in the process of having to rehome some of our animals, but we have a lot of contacts.”

As for the future, The Children’s Museum will soon celebrate 100 years since it was founded as a one-room natural history museum at the Pond House at Elizabeth Park in 1927. It was located at 950 Trout Brook Drive in West Hartford from 1958 through 2022, and moved to the Emanuel Synagogue space at 180 Mohegan Drive in 2022.

“It’s always our desire to find a permanent location,” DiNunno said, and that’s still a goal. “We want a place that will sustain us for the future,” she said, but in the meantime, they plan to focus on their offsite presence in the community through the TCM Mobile Museum.

Launching a large capital campaign can be a daunting task, and the short-term plans are more likely to raise funds to increase their fleet of vehicles, which is a far more achievable goal, DiNunno said.

“For nearly a century, the Museum has welcomed the laughter, curiosity, and discovery of countless children and the families, educators, and supporters who nurtured their growth,” The Children’s Museum stated in their announcement. “We recognize how deeply meaningful this space has been to our community and share in the sadness of this loss. As we move forward, we are committed to building a new home that honors this legacy and creates that same sense of wonder and belonging for generations to come.”

The museum extended “deep gratitude to its community, partners, and friends for their continued encouragement and support during this transition,” and pledged to share any updates as they develop.

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