In 2005, Collette Michaud was a mom looking for creative, stimulating play outlets for her young son. A friend told her about the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito, and it sounded like just the thing. Problem was, Michaud was living in Petaluma, and seriously, getting a toddler all the way to southern Marin County for playtime was daunting.“I started looking locally, because I figured there must be something similar in Santa Rosa,” she says. But there wasn’t. So Michaud, who has a background in educational software development and computer game design, started meeting with like-minded parents and envisioning how to go about making one.
Fast forward to 2014, and the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County (CMOSC) is a full-fledged reality. Now mother of kids 13 and 15, Michaud is CEO of the nonprofit, located next to the Charles M. Schulz Museum on Steele Lane in Santa Rosa. In March, Phase One opened to the public, consisting of Mary’s Garden (an outdoor nature education garden), Ella’s Art Studio and the Dow Event Center.
The Cultivating Curious Minds Capital Campaign is currently underway for Phase Two, focusing on the museum interior, exhibits and structural upgrades. The goal is to raise funds to finish the work and fully open to the public by January 2015. Ongoing fund-raising efforts focus on operations and accessibility, as the museum subsidizes all admissions and memberships by 50 percent. “We’re committed to being accessible and affordable for everyone,” says Michaud. “Museum admissions and outreach programs are underwritten by fund-raising efforts like our annual Time to Wonder luncheon [September 18 this year] so every child can have the opportunity to experience the museum.”
