Focusing its search on East Hartford, the Children’s Museum in West Hartford is hoping to identify a new home in the coming weeks.
“Our hope is to bring that to some conclusion within several weeks to a month or so,” said Michael Werle, executive director of the Children’s Museum.
The Children’s Museum is moving from its longtime home at 950 Trout Brook Drive due to plans by the Kingswood Oxford School to sell the property to a developer. Recently submitted plans call for a 170-unit luxury apartment building.
The museum and its associated preschool programs are moving into temporary space at West Hartford’s Emanuel Synagogue. Werle said the preschool is ready to open in the new location. The museum will begin moving next week and aims to open in a reduced capacity by the end of September.
Werle said the museum is working with state traffic officials seeking permission to move “Conny,” the museum’s 60-foot replica of a sperm whale.
Werle said the museum is negotiating a move to “several” possible sites in East Hartford, weighing financial and business liabilities, as well as operational aspects like accessibility. The search is being conducted by a relocation committee and a smaller executive group, he said.
“We are close,” Werle said. “As you can imagine, this involves a lot of different elements.”
East Hartford Mayor Michael Walsh said his town is ready to “roll out the red carpet” for the museum, which would serve to attract visitors to town, provide an educational resource and offer additional preschool options for locals.
“I love the idea of the Children’s Museum looking at spots in East Hartford,” Walsh said. “It checks so many boxes. It’s a great community asset. If they land in East Hartford, this is great news. It’s a good fit on so many levels.”
