What was once the home of the general superintendent of Western Union Telegraph, the Stager-Beckwith mansion was one of the first opulent estates to be built along Euclid Avenue, known as Millionaire’s Row during the 19th century.
But like many things in Cleveland, what’s old is new again. And, that couldn’t be a more perfect narrative behind the famous mansion’s newest generation of dwellers — children.
After more than $10 million in renovations, the Victorian-style mansion became home to the Children’s Museum of Cleveland. So instead of housing antiques and art collections, the mansion is home to a massive interactive playground and a kid-friendly water lab (among many other things).
What You’ll See:
- Adventure City, a two-story city-themed playground, features a market, construction site, garage and the kind of climbing opportunities that kids live for. It’s like a massive game of House, but on steroids. Parents will be glad, too. Not only does it foster imagination, but it helps to burn off their kids’ voracious energy.
- Just based on the undisputed fact that all kids enjoy drenching the entire bathroom during bathtime, we know kids have a serious fascination with water. The Wonder Lab gives kiddos a chance to play and learn with water — without flooding your house. The industrial science lab features huge water tables with whirlpools, rivers, water jets and bubbles.
- Also within the Wonder Lab area, kids can shoot scarves through twisty pneumatic tubes that float down from the ceiling to the ground like a feather. Get ready to ‘gram their reactions on this one.
What Else To Do?
- Create hand puppets. Paint a mural. Build a rainbow mobile. Construct a mini menorah. Kids can don a paint-shirt and create with all sorts of materials to channel their inner Picasso or Rodin inside the Arts & Parts Studio.
- A "Making Miniatures" exhibit features an incredible display of dollhouses, including a replica of the Stager-Beckwith mansion that actually resembles a dollhouse from the exterior, creating an open invitation for imagination and play
Tips for Visiting
- Bring your own lunch! The former mansion provides a lunchroom perfect for taking a noontime break.
- For children with special needs, CMC offers ticket desk toolkits with aids like noise-canceling headphones, call-ahead accommodations, a sensory-friendly room, social narratives and video models.