Children's Museum of Memphis


The Children's Museum of Memphis is located in Midtown Memphis at 2525 Central Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
CMOM’s mission is to create memorable learning experiences through the joy of play in hands-on exhibits and programs. The museum offers interactive exhibits and programs for children and their families. The museum houses over 20 hands-on exhibits.
The museum is open seven days a week from 9 am to 5 pm. It is closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

History

The Children's Museum of Memphis is located in the former National Guard Armory that was built from 1941-1942. The Children’s Museum of Memphis Founders are Polly Glotzbach, Harriet McFadden, Mars Widdicombe, and Harry J. Phillips, Sr.
In 2013, the museum opened an exhibit called H2Oh! Splash, a splash pad with a garden theme that was funded, in part, through a gift from the Katherine and John Dobbs family foundation.
In 2017, the museum faced strong opposition when a group of former employees, known collectively as 21 Voices, accused the museum’s leadership of racial and gender discrimination, misuse of funds, sexual misconduct and overt nepotism. The group's work sparked an internal investigation leading to the departure of then CEO, Richard Hackett, along with several members of his family. In late 2018, a local newspaper, The Memphis Flyer, published a cover story on the investigation and the accusations of 21 Voices. Although the museum declined to comment on these matters, due to a non-disclosure agreement, the 990 tax returns filed by the museum from the years 2013 through 2016 appear to support some of the allegations of misconduct made by the former employees. In less than a year after The Memphis Flyer’s report was published, much of the museum’s leadership had either been replaced or reassigned.

Timeline