PORTLAND, Maine — The Children’s Museum and Theatre is leaving downtown Portland and re-locating to the growing Thompson’s Point development.
In a statement, Executive Director Suzanne Olson said the museum “has outgrown its Free Street facility and is bursting at the seams. Our staff, board and stakeholders agree that the time is right to relocate to a new, purpose-built space.”
A rainy day outside meant a busy day inside Wednesday morning.
Abigail Cain brings her kids from Gray every few weeks. They love the museum but she said the crowds can be overwhelming.
“We came during vacation week, forgetting it was vacation week, and we didn’t stay long because it was pretty hard to get around, because there were so many people,” Cain said.
There will be plenty of room once the museum relocates to Thompson’s Point, a growing development on the Fore River that’s home to a skating rink and restaurants, with housing and a hotel in the works.
“The children’s museum has been part of our development plan for years now,” Chris Thompson, one of the developers, said. “Actually, we started working with them back in 2010.”
Thompson said it will bring more people to the point and make the museum more accessible.
“The visibility is obviously very important, the ease of access off of [Interstate] 295, the proximity to the transportation center,” he said. “They have a lot of folks who utilize public transit, Amtrak, Concord Coach.”
Cain said that location and onsite parking will make it a little easier for parents like her.
“I think that’d be nicer than fighting traffic, because a lot of times, too, it’s like the parking garage will be full and then you park at the garage way down there and it’s a struggle walking up here with the little legs,” Cain said.
Thompson said they’re working to get permits through the city. The hope is to break ground in 2018 and have the location built by 2020.