Press Room

As it nears the finish of a $14 million fundraising campaign for its new Portland facility, the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine has received a $500,000 gift from the Lunder Foundation.

The Portland-based philanthropy made the donation as a challenge grant to spur matching contributions and raise the remaining $1 million of the campaign, according to a news release Monday.

The sale moves the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine closer to its capital campaign goal, Executive Director Julie Butcher Pezzino told Mainebiz.

With the Thompson’s Point construction, the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine is executing its strategic plan to serve twice as many children and families and to expand programming to a more diverse community. Proceeds from the sale of 142 Free St. are contributing to the construction of the organization’s new building and its exhibits; a capital campaign for the balance needed will be announced in the coming months.

Read the whole article at MaineBiz here!

Sea Bags is teaming up with our friend, best-selling children's book author Chris Van Dusen, for a design inspired by his well-known work, Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee (which is also the inspiration for our backyard exhibit!). Sea Bags is kindly donating a portion of the sales proceeds to the Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine. Click to get more details at Mainebiz!

This July, the Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine will welcom Julie Butcher Pezzino as our new executive director! Read on for more details at MaineBiz.

Our longtime director, Suzanne Olson, will be retiring this summer. MaineBiz did a lovely interview with her and some of our board members, reflecting her accomplishments and the search for a new director. 

With the assistance and support of local Bank of America staff, the Museum & Theatre has received a $250,000 grant towards building our new facility at Thompson's Point! 

We recently purchased the land for our future home on Thompson's Point. MaineBiz wrote a great article about our plans for the new space! 

The Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine received planning permission from the city to build a new building at Thompson's Point.