The Neville Public Museum in downtown Green Bay. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Discussions of possibly moving The Children’s Museum of Green Bay into the Neville Public Museum have been happening since at least the start of this year.
It would be a return to downtown Green Bay for The Children’s Museum, which debuted in 2012 on Washington Street before moving to its current location near Bay Beach Amusement Park in 2019.
“If it’s bigger I would love that,” said Julie Neuchter of Little Sturgeon who became emotional while discussing the impact the children’s museum has had on her son who is autistic. “He loves the art room, and he does so much. Last time he did all these puzzles here and he’s really been showing a lot of improvements.”
The museum has been trying to touch more lives, launching a capital campaign in 2024 to more than double its interior space. Its current location is about 10,000 square feet. The expansion would bring it to 26,000 square feet.
The Neville has about 66,000 square feet, but it’s unclear how much of that is public space.
Children’s Museum Executive Director Toni Burnett says she isn’t ready to talk on camera about the potential relocation to the Neville. She says a lot still needs to be figured out including the configuration of having both museums under one roof at the Neville and the cost of moving compared to expanding at its current location.
Burnett says increased costs have brought the expansion project at its current site to about $7 to $7.5 million. About $5 million of that would be for building construction and up to $2.5 million for new exhibits.
The capital campaign has generated more than $4.2 million.
Burnett says she spoke with donors before beginning discussions with the county about moving to the Neville. She says donors are on board.
The Children’s Museum attracts more than 70,000 each year. That compares to 41,156 visitors for the Neville last year.
“We have a gem with the Neville Public Museum,” said Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach. “There’s opportunity for us to bring in some new community partners potentially. We’re reviewing that.”
Brown County is budgeted to spend $1.03 million to operate the Neville this year. It generated $177,301 in admission revenue last year.
“In the end our goal is to really make it a tourism destination and set it up for success into the future,” said Streckenbach.
Streckenbach says we should expect to hear more on the Neville’s future soon.
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