Wonderscope opens to adults one special night 

By Jill Draper

Move over, kids. The adults are taking over the Regnier Family Wonderscope Children’s Museum on Saturday night, July 17, for several hours of fun and games plus beer, coffee, charcuterie trays and other grownup fare.

The event, called “Eat. Drink. Play” is the museum’s first onsite fundraiser since relocating to the Red Bridge Shopping Center last October. 

“I think there’s a lot of curiosity about what’s happening here,” said Lynn Pickerel, the museum’s director of communications. Since the museum is only open to people accompanied by children during regular hours, the event is a good way for adults to explore the $15 million facility on their own, she said.

The cost is $50 per person ($40 for members) and they hope to sell several 100 tickets. Tickets can be purchased online until 4 pm on Saturday or at the door starting at 6:30 pm. 

Party-goers will be able to roam through the entire museum, including the popular waterworks area, the art room and the half-acre outdoor play space with an accessible tree house, maze, climbing structure, tractor and musical instruments. The evening will feature a photo booth with props for selfies, a live band, and Matt Stewart from Fox 4 TV as emcee.

According to Pickerel, there will be many small games plus two big games that require additional tickets. Guests may take part in a heads/tail competition or a scavenger hunt for prizes such as a gas grill from Lowe’s, grilling utensils from Euston Hardware and jewelry from Meierotto. 

An outdoor beer garden will feature beverages from Martin City Brewery, cheese from Midwest Dairy, chips and salsa from Barrio, popcorn from Popculture, donut holes from Donutology, ice cream from Cookies and Creamery and coffee from Crows plus various appetizers.

The museum opened during the pandemic after moving from a smaller building in Shawnee, Kans. At first, visitors were required to wear masks and reserve a timed entry spot, but that’s no longer the case, according to Pickerel. “We’ve seen record attendance, and the numbers are steadily growing,” she said.

The next fundraising event will be a more formal cocktail night on Oct. 16 when the new museum celebrates its first anniversary. Regular daytime admission is $9 per adult and $12 per child. The museum also offers reduced admission for low-income and military families through various programs like Museums for All, Blue Star Museums and the Wonderfund. See more at wonderscope.org.