What's Inside The Great River Children's Museum's New Asia Music Exhibit

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- A new interactive exhibit celebrating music is now open at the Great River Children's Museum downtown.

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A new music exhibit at the Children's Museum

CEO Cassie Miles says "Music: Journey Through the Sounds of East Asia Rhythms" is on loan from the Minnesota Children's Museum.

It takes you through a few different instruments from South Korea, Japan, and China. Drums, gongs, chimes, fish drums, really interesting pieces. What we like the most is that it engages the whole family in play in our space.

Miles says the early reviews for "Music: Journey Through the Sounds of East Asia Rhythms" have been very positive.

We've had about 40 people in the last few weeks fill out our survey; it's an optional survey, but those 40 people have all said that this exhibit is amazing.

Miles says it's in their rotating exhibit space now through January 10th. A state grant helped cover the cost to bring the exhibit to St. Cloud.

A busy MEA weekend at the Children's Museum

If you are looking for ways to keep your kids busy during the MEA break, the Great River Children's Museum is one option. Miles says they are taking registrations now for the MEA Fall Discovery Camp on October 15th and 16th.

We have camps happening Thursday and Friday morning and Thursday and Friday afternoon. You can sign up for all of them if you want or sign up for just one. Members get a little bit of a discount off that camp price, but the full price is just $35. It is a drop-and-go, so you can drop your kids off and then come pick them up when they are done.

Each session is a unique, standalone experience, so you can register for any or all four sessions. Space is limited to 20 campers per time slot.

Other events happening that weekend include Sunrise Saturday for members only on October 17th from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., and Kids & Huskies on Sunday, October 18th from 10:00 a.m. to noon with members of the St. Cloud State University women's hockey team.

New programming at the Children's Museum

Miles says the creative team has been adding a lot of new programming.

Cozy Kitchen is on Friday afternoons from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. for the next 10 weeks. In addition to the MEA fall camps, we're planning a winter camp over the winter break, so be on the lookout for that. And we've launched a new access program; we now have a membership package for $45 for the year for families receiving SNAP or WIC assistance.

Miles says the Great River Children's Museum is also offering discounts to schools for fall field trips. She says the spring time slots fill up quickly, so schools interested in coming to the museum through the end of the fall will have more flexibility for days and times.