Construction of Modesto’s Children’s Museum is nearly complete. When will it open?

Construction is nearing completion for the Modesto Children’s Museum in downtown.

“We’re really excited, said museum CEO Chelsie Webster, “We’ve done some really interesting things inside the building.”

That includes expanding some of the walls on the first and second floors to provide more space for exhibits and adding walls, she said.

The front sidewalk area has expanded into the road, Webster said. And the museum will be ADA accessible the front curb throughout the interior.

When complete, the outdoor facade will be “very colorful,” she said. “When you turn the corner, you’ll see this really bright building.”

There also will be a store inside selling educational toys, Modesto Children’s Museum products and more. Items will tie back to the exhibits, lessons and programs, Webster said.

The museum is at 928 11th St. The two-story, roughly 11,500-square-foot space previously housed the Heart & Soul coffeehouse.

The museum is expected to open this fall, Webster said, though no particular date has been set.

When do museum exhibits go in?

Construction inside at this point is down to finishing touches and detail work, she said.

Since it remains in construction, Webster said museum leaders are not ready to say how much it will cost to open. While there has been some public funding for the project, the bulk has come from community donations, she said in a text message.

As they still are actively fundraising, they also are not ready to say how much money has been raised so far, she said. More than $9 million had been raised at the end of February, according to a March story in The Bee.

The museum will include water, air and light labs, an art studio/maker space, and areas called Valley Proud, Tall Tales, Adventure and Little Rainbows.

All of the 10 total exhibits are being custom built and include hands-on experiences for visitors.

“(It will be) very tactile, very sensory,” Webster said. “You’re going to walk into something and you’re going to be immersed in the experience.”

They expect to begin installing exhibits in early June, then continue adding them over the following couple of months, she said.

The museum is planned to be an asset that reaches out to all members of the community, she said. “We want to make sure everyone feels welcome in this space and that’s why we’re creating it.”