Big news that’ll put a smile on your face!

We hope you are all well and enjoying a beautiful Tahoe-Truckee summer. It has been far too long since we have seen you, and we are looking forward to reopening in September 2021! Our staff and volunteers are busy preparing for your return. Please help us formulate our plans by filling out this short questionnaire.

While the facility has been closed, our staff have been busy helping TTUSD families navigate online learning, delivering hands-on educational kits to families who need them, supporting our social service partners, and working on securing PPP loans, grants, and donations to sustain the museum so we can be strong for our children. Currently, the Museum’s outdoor play area is open to our social service and education partners. We are doing our best to help at-risk children get ready for school learning, as the pandemic has been an isolating time with minimal social, physical, and cognitive development opportunities for them.

Simultaneously, the KidZone Board has been working successfully on our efforts to plan and build our new facility by 2025. The photo here is a rendering the team created for the Play Floor. We are in the silent phase of the campaign, which means we are quietly fundraising.

Volunteers have been a main source of our success during the pandemic. Wrenn Cavallo is leading a group of volunteers who are planning our 2nd annual virtual fundraiser to be held Thursday, November 18, 2021. Volunteer Helen Pelster started an engagement team to keep the public informed about the Museum and reach new families. This team developed “Small Talk Tahoe,” a fun, informative podcast, and resumed in-person museum tours.

If you are interested in getting involved, email Jen Parker. If you want to help us in our recovery, please consider becoming a Visionary Circle Member.

As we jointly approach recovery, we wish you a fun, relaxing summer with your family, and a successful school year.

See you in September!

Carol Meagher

Executive Director

New Museum: Play Floor Rendering

Highlights from the past 18 months

  • Connected 4,000 times with children and families who needed us most
  • Raised $100,000 at our first virtual fundraiser
  • Secured $150,000 in PPP loans and government grants
  • Kept our core staff employed
  • Raised funds for our campaign leadership and created renderings for the interior spaces
  • Launched our podcast, Small Talk Tahoe: Listen in on our conversations
  • Brought back our tours! Sign up for a tour
  • Pre-pandemic memberships resume in September (thanks for hanging in there with us)