Anyone who passed by the old Children’s Museum in downtown recalls the jubilant old truck out front that children were allowed to paint on. Luckily for children in San Diego, The New Children’s Museum opens this Sunday with a free grand opening block party from noon - 4 p.m. and the old painted truck is back as The Painted Bug.
Visitors will be among the first to tour the innovative and dynamic building and opening exhibition, childsplay, while enjoying fun and festivities as The New Children’s Museum comes to life. Plans for the Block Party include entertainment by the San Diego Youth Symphony, Jean Isaacs San Diego Dance Theater and Eveoke Dance Theatre; displays and sales at the Museum’s gift shop—Gizmo Garage, hands-on activities, giveaways, tours, and tons of engaging family fun at the Museum and across the street at the park.
childsplay
The opening exhibition features Brian Dick’s re-interpretation of two installations from Allan Kaprow. The new artwork explores Dick’s commitment to recycled materials, and was inspired by the childish joy of jumping on the bed.
Downtown’s Largest Public Green Building
Designed by renowned architect Rob Wellington Quigley, the environmentally friendly, modern structure is made from recycled building materials and features a solar electric system, water-saving devices, and natural day lighting and convection cooling, making it one of the first “green” museums in California.
The new building features a dramatic three story atrium, 17-foot concrete entrance bridge, angled
“saw tooth” roof structure and a glass-enclosed elevator shaft that functions as a heating/cooling
tower. Dedicated to art galleries and hands-on studios, the new three-story building will also include an adjacent public park, birthday party rooms, classrooms, a retail store and a café.
no hvac green building, enough natural light that most days they don’t need to turn on the lights and it has solar panels .
The New Children’s Museum
200 West Island Avenue
San Diego, California 92101
3 responses so far ↓
Maylou // May 3, 2008 at 10:51 am
Sounds wonderful, I am loking forward to sharing this with my grandaughter.
Nina // May 9, 2008 at 9:55 am
How do you even remember that painted car? Hilarious.
Merrick Lozano // May 9, 2008 at 11:30 am
Nina, I am a San Diego native.
If you ever went to the original SOMA you probably would have seen the truck while looking for parking.
If you ever rode the trolley you could spot that truck out front.
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