BusinessReport.com

Children’s museums, the fastest-growing cultural institution in the country, are supposed to be fun for children and adults, but there’s a serious side to the trend.

“It’s about the fact that play is one of the most profoundly important ways children learn,” says Reb Haizlip, who designed the exhibits for Baton Rouge’s proposed Knock Knock Children’s Museum.

The museum, which would be located on Dalrymple Drive in City Park, primarily will be aimed at children from birth to age 8. Exhibits were inspired by community “dreamcatching” sessions held last fall by Memphis, Tenn.-based Haizlip Studio. “This museum couldn’t be anywhere but Baton Rouge,” Haizlip says.

Organizers hope Knock Knock will be ready in two to three years, but first there’s the small matter of money. The state has dedicated $5 million that will have to be matched locally; the museum is expected to cost about $15 million.

Kelli Stevens, who chairs the museum’s board, says they’ve gotten some startup money from the Irene W. and C.B. Pennington Foundation, Junior League and some individual donors, but have not yet begun to formally solicit donations.

An architect has not been hired for the building, which is expected to be two stories and about 35,000 square feet. These renderings, released publicly for the first time April 2, represent current design plans and are subject to change as new ideas or possible sponsorships come to light.

“Don’t fixate too much on the physical qualities. This is the spirit of the place,” Haizlip says.