The Children’s Theatre of Maine has been continually performing plays for a young audience since 1922. We are the oldest continuously running children’s theatre in the country! That’s 98 years of plays for young audiences. While schools are not in session, and while theatres are dark, now is the time for artists to hunker down and turn on the ghost light while we write our stories. Join the Maine Youth Playwriting Challenge.
Read MoreIn order to continue to serve as a resource for parents, families, and the community during a period of time marked by public health curfews and quarantines, the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine launched a series of free, online educational programs. “At Home Together” includes “Wild Life” and “Makerspace” programs and the “Maine Youth Playwriting Challenge Online” program spans ten days.
Read MoreIt is with a combination of sadness and profound love for our community that we announce the temporary closure of our Museum & Theatre facility at 142 Free Street in Portland (effective Friday, March 13th at 5 PM) and cessation of all associated programming for at least two weeks. We will continuously monitor and reassess the appropriate timing for reopening, in accordance with official public health recommendations. As an organization committed to STEM education, we take seriously the science-based assessment of the severity of our situation and the guidelines for how we should keep ourselves safe. More details here.
Read MoreThe Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine is dedicated to creating a safe, welcoming, and clean educational environment for all of our visitors. In response to the heightened attention to public health, we would like to share our cleaning protocols with our membership and the public.
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The Makerspace allows the children to enter with an idea and leave with a complete project in their hands. The process of creation accentuates the skills of problem-solving and risk-taking. The Makerspace is a guided exhibit operated by staff and volunteers who help the children use real tools and materials for creation.
Read MoreThank you for our patience while our elevator has been under repair. The new steel piston is now on its way to Maine and the messy job begins of installing it. This involves loud noises and work around the elevator shaft which will begin on Monday February 24th and last through Monday March 10th. While the majority of the work should happen outside of our regular business hours, we recognize that this may have a noisy impact on your experience as a visitor during this time. As such, we are offering a 50% discount on all admissions on the days the loud work may be taking place: Tuesday Feb. 25th, Wednesday Feb. 26th, Thursday Feb. 27th, Tuesday March 4th, Wednesday March 5th, and Thursday March 6th. Additionally, if you are a current member with accessibility needs and the lack of the elevator has impacted your experience, we would like to offer you an extension to your membership. Please contact our Director of Visitor Engagement, Lily Gilbert, at lily@kitetails.org if you would like to request a membership extension. We all look forward this work being complete!
Read MoreIn honor of Women’s History Month and the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment that gave women the right to vote, the Museum & Theatre is celebrating with music, stories, art, and a pop-up voting booth.
Read MoreOn February 3, 2020, the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine announced at a press conference the public launch of its $14 million Imagine Capital Campaign to fund construction of the Museum & Theatre’s new state-of-the-art 30,000 square foot facility at Thompson’s Point. Doubling its size and projected to host nearly a quarter of a million visitors per year, the Museum & Theatre will offer performing and visual arts, STEM, and cultural education for children, youth, and their families. All new exhibits will be fully inclusive to children and caregivers of all abilities. Campaign leadership announced that this largest capital campaign in the Museum & Theatre’s 97-year history has already raised, to date, $12.5 million dollars in gifts and pledges from individuals, corporations, and foundations, and from the proceeds of the sale of its 142 Free Street building. Throughout 2020, community members will be invited to participate in completing the Museum & Theatre’s campaign.
Read MoreChief Knowledge Officer and Deputy Director Al Race of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University will speak about the role of play in children’s growth and development-especially in the face of adversity- with our 2020 Auction Gala attendees on May 15, 2020.
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