[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 135 (Friday, December 8, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2147]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING THE MINNESOTA CHILDREN'S MUSEUM ON ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY

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                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 7, 2006

  Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the 
staff and patrons of the Minnesota Children's Museum on its 25th 
Anniversary. Since its inception on December 12, 1981, the Minnesota 
Children's Museum has welcomed more than 5 million children through its 
doors, giving young people hands-on experiences that offer a world of 
opportunities for children, youth and adults alike to explore and 
discover.
  As the number of visitors has grown from 65,000 to 400,000 per year, 
the Minnesota Children's Museum has moved to larger space three times, 
from downtown Minneapolis to its current location in downtown St. Paul. 
Thanks to the vision and commitment of founders Marialice Harwood, Kate 
Donaldson and Suzanne Payne, the Children's Museum continues to expand 
as an innovative venue for educating and nurturing young children, and 
offer unique public spaces for civic and community engagement.
  In the new En Mi Familia gallery, children learn the life stories and 
dreams of a young Mexican American author and artist, Carmen Lomas 
Garza. In the Habitot gallery, infants and toddlers ranging in age from 
six months to four years old can safely explore and crawl through the 
Habitot's pond, prairie, forest and bluff caves to enhance their 
cognitive, physical and social development. In the Rooftop ArtPark, 
where nature and art come together, young visitors experience the 
changing colors of leaves from treetops to changing weather conditions 
in Minnesota, In the World Works gallery, children explore and discover 
the fun of water by building boats and racing them through a water 
tube.
  Through these imaginative approaches to lessons about society, 
science and art, the Minnesota Children's Museum shows young people 
that learning can be fun. Community investments like the Children's 
Museum provide the foundation for lifelong learning. Mr. Speaker, 
please join me in honoring all the people who have made the Minnesota 
Children's Museum a success for children's education.

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