Launch Aloft! - JULY 2025: A voyage skyward
The Children's Museum of Sonoma County is set to undergo a significant transformation with the announcement of a new expansion plan. This ambitious project, set to more than double the museum's current size, is part of the revised Unlock Potential (UP!) Capital Campaign [1].
The expansion will see the construction of a **new 7,400 square foot two-story building**, bringing the total museum area to over 15,000 square feet [1]. This expansion aims to provide a more immersive and interactive learning environment for thousands of children and families in Sonoma County.
The revised goal for the UP! Capital Campaign is now $8 million, a decrease from the original $15 million due to rising construction costs, wildfires, global tariffs, and inflation [1]. As of July 2025, $7.5 million has been pledged towards this new goal, with Mendocino Lumber Company donating all the lumber needed for the building [1].
The museum is urging continued donations to help close the campaign and break ground by mid to end of 2026 [1]. If successful, construction is expected to begin by the end of 2026, with the project set for completion in early 2028 [1].
The new building will feature an immersive ocean-themed environment, hands-on STEM exhibits, a maker space, a large-scale physics ball-and-ramp maze, two dedicated learning lab flex spaces, an outdoor entryway courtyard, and will triple the number of interior restrooms [1]. The expansion will also provide better support for team members and space to store and prep supplies for programs and exhibits.
Key features of the new expansion include a Shadow Play station, where children can experiment with overlapping hues while learning about how light travels and changes, and a Full-size Pin Wall, inviting children to press their hands, faces, or entire bodies into the wall, creating 3D impressions while exploring textures, pressure, and spatial awareness [1].
In the Revolving Circle exhibit, kids discover how rotational motion and force influence movement, while the properties of magnetism come to life at a Ferrofluid table [1]. The museum anticipates that the project will increase programming and attendance, particularly for children ages 8-12, providing relief from overcrowding.
Several community leaders, including Connie Codding, Herb Dwight, the Donald & Maureen Green Foundation, Vic Trione, and Jennifer & John Webley, have made generous commitments towards the Unlock Potential! Campaign [1]. The Saba Foundation has also pledged to match all donations to the Unlock Potential! campaign received by June 30, 2026, up to a total of $620,000 [1].
The museum's project site plans are in progress and will be submitted to the City of Santa Rosa by September 2025 [1]. Key sources of public funding have been put on pause, necessitating creative solutions to ensure the success of the expansion.
[1] Children's Museum of Sonoma County - Unlock Potential! Capital Campaign Information, (2025), Retrieved from https://www.cmosc.org/unlockpotential/ [2] The New Children's Museum - Artopia Expansion, (2025), Retrieved from https://www.thinkplaycreate.org/artopia/
- The expansion of The Children's Museum of Sonoma County, driven by the Unlock Potential (UP!) Capital Campaign, will include the development of a new, 7,400 square foot building, facilitating online education, learning, and lifelong learning with immersive STEM exhibits and a maker space.
- By providing enhanced support for team members and offering additional resources for programs and exhibits, the museum's expansion aims to strengthen the foundation of STEM education and self-development in Sonoma County.
- Amidst the construction of the new building, the museum intends to continue offering a variety of interactive and engaging learning opportunities, so that science, and the understanding of the world, remains an essential part of education and personal growth in the digital age.
