Story written for Public Affairs Reporting class at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 2008.

1. Child’s Play Has the Ability to Revamp Downtown, and Bond a Community At the intersection of Barstow and Grand streets in Eau Claire lies a building that holds giggles, wonder, and amazement. Here you can take a tour through the digestive process, star in your own newscast, and learn what it takes to build a city. Here, at the Children’s Museum of Eau Claire, children can laugh, learn and play all at the same time. The organization is young and growing, yet it still needs funding and support from the community in order to continue providing educational entertainment for Eau Claire’s youngsters. This is the cause that brings the museum’s Executive Director Suzie Slota to the city budget meeting every year. For those people without children, a children’s museum may seem like a superfluous expense on the city’s bill. What these people don’t know is that it has been proven that children’s museums can aide in revitalizing dilapidated downtowns. In 2002 a study known as the HyettPalma study came to assess how Eau Claire could invigorate downtown. According to the HyettPalma website, HyettPalma, Inc. is the only national consulting firm specializing in the economic enhancement of downtowns and older business districts. Previously, HyettPalma studies have shown that children’s museums play a significant role in revamping downtown districts. “Well, we started from scratch, with nothing at all, just an idea,” said Slota. Before the study was finished, the museum was just that, an idea thought up by Slota’s college friend and neighbor Patrick Rebman. Since then, the Children’s Museum of Eau Claire has become a reality. Through the support from the Eau Claire City Council, as well as the help the museum has received from Eau Claire citizens and business, the museum has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, gained non-profit status, and continues efforts to improve life in Eau Claire. The museum’s mission is to create “an interactive environment for children and their grown-ups that inspires imagination, discovery, creativity & the love of learning”. Although City Council does help the museum financially, is it only a small fraction of what it actually costs to keep the doors open. Eau Claire City Council member Kerry Kincaid said, “the museum annually requests more funding than the city is able to provide, so the funding from the city is more symbolic than ‘make-or-break’. The museum has conducted very successful campaigns, bringing in private donors. But, the city’s continued support demonstrates that the museum is a valued institution.” According to Slota, it costs the Children’s Museum of Eau Claire about $150,000 a year to stay in business, and the City Council offers about only three percent. As Slota said, “The only government funding that we have ever received, or requested, has been through the city of Eau Claire. The money that they’re distributing to organizations like the Children’s Museum comes from the hotel room tax dollars…the idea behind supporting us and supporting these other organizations is that its making Eau Claire a more attractive place to live, but more importantly to come, and rent hotel rooms, and generate more tax dollars.” Slota and her colleagues strive to make the Children’s Museum of Eau Claire as good as, if not better, than larger children’s museums around the country. Keeping up with the competition can reel in more tourists, and Slota said that “Children’s museums are popular. Once they go to one, people tend to make an effort to try to find others to visit. We think we can do a good job helping to make Eau Claire an attractive destination for people who might want to visit from out of town”. The museum has many plans for the future, including a $200,000 water exhibit that should be installed in April 2009. Other plans include the museum’s second floor remodel, which includes about $1,000,000 in new exhibits. So far, the museum has raised $117,000 for the new water exhibit, and is still conceptualizing the exhibits for the second floor remodel. Eau Claire City Councilman Bob Von Haden said “I am a member of the Children's Museum and have taken my four grandchildren there many times. It is a great place for young children and young adults to enjoy themselves.” As Shannon Holthaus played with her two-year old daughter Julia at the museum she said, “I think (the museum’s) great. It’s been really fun for us”. Julia’s favorite activities: the Toddler Park and the projects.