“We have steady business throughout the year”, says Dr. Donna Farland-Smith, founder of the Little Buckeye Children’s Museum, “It is a place where your child can keep their mind active, while having fun. Dr. Farland-Smith says, “I wanted to open this museum in Downtown Mansfield because I wanted to take the risk and see if it would be a success, I knew we had to at least give it a shot. I wanted kids to have a place to go that was close to home and not travel 85 miles to the closest children’s museum.”
The museum has been up and running for the past two years, and a great deal of time and energy has been put into the establishment. Much of the success is attributed to the many volunteers helping. Dr. Farland-Smith says, “The volunteer work we have received has really pushed us to succeed. About 35,000 volunteer hours have been put into the museum. It’s truly incredible.” Volunteers, donations, and support from the community are always welcomed. This establishment gives back to the community as well and offers fundraisers to participate in. For more information on the fundraisers visit, www.littlebuckeye.org .
Kids can explore different activities that are to designed spark creativity and learning. A banking and grocery store section is available to get hands on experience playing and interacting with other children. The giant train set on the newly renovated second floor is tremendous to witness a train interacting with a town. Dr. Farland-Smith, herself an educator, mother, says, “The train station is a huge hit with kids, they absolutely love it! Costumes and a theatre stage are available to those who want to show off their creative flare.
The museum expects to release dates for a summer camp in the near future. Children will be able to receive music lessons, art lessons, and a wide range of other learning activities. The special offered lessons are priced at a low rate to keep all children excited and engaged. It provides an environment for spending quality time with family, while still learning and having fun with the wide range of active exhibits.
This museum is growing quickly. The door at 44 West Fourth Street in Mansfield, Ohio has welcomed over 50,000 visitors per year from around Richland County and the state of Ohio. Farland-Smith stated, “There have been over 100 field trips from schools and over 150 birthday parties that have taken place. Schools that have ventured to Richland County come from large metropolitans of Columbus and Cleveland.
If you would like to join in or learn more, call 419-522-2332 or visit them online at www.littlebuckeye.org.
