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Our History & Future

The idea for a Children's Museum in Laredo began in the 1980s when the late Cecilia Martinez Claflin, as a curator for the Nuevo Santander Museum, saw the need for a place where children learn with hands-on experiences versus the traditional exhibits-behind-glass model. She researched the concept and soon invited a group of educators and concerned citizens to establish goals that would determine the direction and feasibility of such a museum. The museum incorporated on November 26, 1990 and applied for and received a 501©(3) non-profit educational institution status. 

 

The Laredo Children's Museum officially opened its doors on September 11, 1991. Since then, the Museum has provided families of Webb County, South Texas, and Northern Mexico a bi-cultural and creative learning experience through hands-on exhibits and outreach programming. Children’s museums are a growth phenomenon today with over 220 nation-wide and between 80 – 100 capital projects planned. Children’s museums are uniquely dedicated to providing a safe place for inquiry- based learning that explores the natural environment and encourages the creativity and individual expression that is necessary for personal growth and self-esteem. The informal learning environments they provide are increasingly being recognized for their important contribution to the overall education of our children and of their communities as a whole. A children’s museum is a unique resource which engenders a learning culture for the entire community.

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to read our 2018
Annual Report

Our Philosophy & Vision

We believe that children learn best by doing. For more than 30 years, the Imaginarium of South Texas has been a destination and resource where families of all backgrounds come to learn, play and grow together. We are dedicated to making visible the way children think, imagine, design, invent, and create when given intelligent materials including the tools of arts and sciences.

The Imaginarium of South Texas envisions expanding our facility to continue to provide services that meet its mission of providing the model for creative learning experiences that build confidence in children and adults in their lives.

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