Children's Museum needs another $1 million to open doors by year's end

Interior of the new facility on Kellogg Lane pictured on September 19, 2024. The new facility has a projected opening date of January 2025 (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London)

The London Children’s Museum says it will not be able to open its new site by the end of the year, as planned, unless it can come up with another $1 million.

“If we don’t raise these funds urgently and soon, our reality is that it will delay the opening of the Children’s Museum, and we don’t want that to happen,” explained Children’s Museum executive director Kate Ledgley.

The museum is putting out an urgent call for financial help so it can open the doors to its new site on Kellog lane by the end of the year, with a grand opening set for January 2025.

So far, the museum has raised $19 million through fundraising efforts, sponsorships, and government grants. It needs $20 million to be able to open to the public. The remaining $3 million for the $23 million dollar facility will come through continued fundraising.

Ledgley says conditions created by the pandemic curtailed fundraising efforts.

“Unfortunately, inflationary costs increased the budget by 35 per cent. The community really rose to that challenge. We were able to keep the project moving. We’re committed to seeing the project through to completion. It’s the community’s vision. And we’ve really seen some wonderful support to date, and we just need that additional push to get us through the finish line,” she said.

The Children’s Museum is relocating from its existing site on Wharncliffe Road to a state-of-the-art facility currently under construction.

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