Hello Des Plaines! A Message from Our President

You may have started hearing talks about a Des Plaines Children’s Museum back in the summer of 2023. I’m here to tell you that you weren’t just hearing things. My wife Maria Strohmayer and I, Nicholas Strohmayer, launched a community interest survey last summer to see how we could get this idea off the ground. To be fair, that idea didn’t just come out of nowhere. It actually came from you!

Maria and I moved to Des Plaines on advice of family who also live in the area. One thing was immediately clear, people LOVE this place! We moved in during the height of discussions about the potential development of the Journal and Topics Building where we learned how passionate and committed the community is to making downtown a point of pride for all. One speaker pointed out Amazing Breads and Cakes Bakery as something unique that he would come down to visit from time to time. Then, seeing all of this, something clicked. Everyone in that meeting was sharing the same spirit, that Des Plaines is unique, not just because of a place, but because of its people. Those people were seeing their deep connections to this place give way to new things while wanting to preserve the character of Des Plaines and a sense of self-determination.

Who better to represent change than children? The future will look different than today and it will be their decisions that shape it. Who better to represent the past than those people with the memories and histories of this community? People who were raised here and stayed here and people who were raised here, left and came back, like my neighbors and the current mayor. What better place could there be to have the past guide the future and strengthen the connections of this community?

Let’s be practical here, too. It’s cold in the winter and it’s hard to get out on a rainy day. We need a place for kids to get out of the house and have fun. A children’s museum is exactly that, and our community was pretty quick to respond to the idea.

We had over forty responses to our community survey within one day. We began meeting with people to talk about what a children’s museum could mean here in downtown Des Plaines. We heard many different ideas and questions, put together a proposal and shared it with the City Council and the Department of Community and Economic Development. We’ve heard great excitement and support for the idea.

Well, that meant it was time to get to work. Since then, we organized a Board, incorporated, and applied for tax exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service. With the Board, we consolidated the community interest and created our vision, mission, and values. As discussed on our website, we aim to be a place that connects families, not just to each other, but to our community at large. We intend to locate downtown and provide an anchor – a reason to visit and engage downtown with the shops, restaurants, businesses, schools, Des Plaines History Center, Des Plaines Public Library, government, and people.

Our initial challenge is finding space. We are looking for at least 4,000 square feet (honestly, we’d love to be at 8,000). That provides a bit of a challenge both in location and cost. If this is an area where you could help, please reach out!

We are also planning exhibits and programs and continuing to bring people together to further our goals. We have vacant Board positions (including Treasurer, Grant Writing, and Sponsorship). We’re happy to hear from volunteers that could help with short-term projects and pop-up exhibits, and building connections with the community.

Lastly, we’re especially grateful for monetary support. If you can help in any way, please let us know. Our website contains links both to contact us and donate. As we continue to build out this vision, we look forward to connecting with you all. Please look for us at upcoming Des Plaines events.

Nicholas Strohmayer
President