MANSFIELD — Downtown Mansfield’s Little Buckeye Children’s Museum is growing rapidly, with an expected 48,000 people — parents and children included — walking through its doors in 2016.
“Last year we were right around 38,000. So … tremendous growth,” Executive Director Fred Boll said.
When the museum opened in 2011, the building featured around 10 exhibits on the first floor. Since then, the nonprofit has grown to a second floor and exhibits now reach 28. The Adena Construction exhibit is the museum’s newest addition.
“The construction exhibit has been a big hit, the kids love the helmets, they love the vests, they love the wheel-barrows,” Boll said.
Hundreds of children have played on the hands-on learning exhibit since its grand opening on Aug. 26, he said. It was designed by local artist Orie Rush, who has worked alongside Boll for about a year.
Boll said the beauty behind the design of most of the exhibits, including the construction exhibit, is that they encourage imagination play — a concept he explained as an individualized play experience.
“You can bring a child today, the same child tomorrow and the next day. And everyday they come, they’re going to make their own experience,” Boll said.
Hopefully, he said, those play experiences will stick with them through their developmental years as they choose which profession, and which city, to work and live in. Of course, he wants them to choose a profession in Mansfield.
He also used the museum’s “Little Ren” exhibit, a miniature version of the Renaissance Theater down the road.
“Now little kids come to the Little Ren and play on stage. So as they grow up they have fond memories of the Little Ren. Well if I had fond memories of the Little Ren, the Big Ren (The Renaissance Theater) must be just as much fun as the Little Ren,” he hinted.
The same goes with the dentist, veterinary, doctor, archaeologist and construction exhibits, Boll said.
“As they get older, that becomes a viable career path,” he said.
Boll worked in Mansfield City Schools prior to becoming the museum’s director in 2013. He said he worked with the designs in the Springmill Learning Center, a building used for similar purposes.
He also has experience working for the school district’s outdoor education program, Nuhop’s Center for Experiential Learning summer camp and as a operations director within the hotel industry.
Boll grew up in southern Ohio but moved to the Mansfield area when he enrolled in Ashland University.
“Never could leave the place,” he joked.
He hopes his love for working with children through his involvement with the museum will inspire others to realize the importance of their community.
“Kids’ imaginations work best with something they know. We try to imitate what the kids see in their real life at Little Buckeye. And as we add new exhibits, we keep very conscious of how can we add a tie to the community. Because the kids are familiar with that, like the Little Ren … so we just strengthen those community ties,” Boll said.
Plans to grow
The museum’s visitors are growing, Boll said.
Of the nearly 50,000 people who are expected to visit through 2016, Boll said 35 percent come from Cleveland and Columbus. Meanwhile, 46 percent are from Richland County.
“So we’re really having a regional draw to the community and bringing in a lot of economic dollars too. When they come to Little Buckeye, they don’t just come here, they buy gas, food …” he said.
The museum plans to expand in the next six weeks with the addition of a nature exhibit and a 12-foot airplane. The nature exhibit will replace the existing insect exhibit on the second floor. Boll said the concept is more inviting — especially for the children who have aversions to insects.
“We’re always looking to expand and to rearrange exhibits,” Boll said, adding that all of the exhibits are sponsored by community entities.
The museum will change operation hours after Labor Day to its winter hours, when it will be open from Wednesday through Sunday. Check online for hours and to note which holidays the museum closes for. There is also a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/littlebuckeyemansfield/
