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Box Office—Box Office staff are the knowledgeable front-line individuals who greet and welcome more than 1.2 million visitors each year. Seven days a week this team provides high-quality service to visitors with ticket and membership purchases and visit planning.
Call Center—The Call Center is open seven days a week. Call Center Specialists are the informed experts at the other end of the phone or Internet for our visitors and members. These staff members handle a variety of important tasks such as registering school groups, answering questions about upcoming events and programs, and connecting callers with the right departments.
Centralized Purchasing—This team is responsible for overseeing the receiving dock, including processing and handling all incoming and outgoing mail and packages. With a place this huge, this capable group has purchasing and routing down to a science. They are in charge of centralized purchasing, including placing orders, tracking, and negotiating contract arrangements with vendors.
Collections—The museum is home to approximately 120,000 artifacts and specimens that are included in our Natural Science, World Cultures, and American Collections. As one of the few collecting children’s museums, our nationally renowned Collections and Curatorial staff help the museum to collect, preserve, curate, and present amazing objects to our visitors and special guests.
Community Initiatives—The museum works tirelessly to cultivate a variety of community partnerships and we dedicate significant resources toward projects and programs that improve safety, decrease crime, attract and source local business and community assets, and beautify neighborhoods.
Educational Programs—Our Programs departments host year-round programs for families, youths, school groups, preschoolers, and educators. The museum programs are developed by trained museum and classroom educators with teaching experience. Program content is reflective of museum exhibits, and focuses on the arts, sciences, and humanities.
Exhibits—The Exhibits staff is responsible for imagining, planning, developing, designing, and testing the awesome exhibits at the museum, as well as creating extraordinary experiences that travel to other institutions.
Exhibit Evaluation and Research—The Exhibit Evaluation and Research team is responsible for assessing and improving the visitor experience through family learning. They play an integral role in researching, testing, and engaging in formal evaluation of content for the museum, including advising program and exhibit developers.
Experience Production—This team is responsible for world-class exhibit production management, facility maintenance, HVAC, grounds, carpentry, electrical, and housekeeping for the museum’s 472,900-square-foot campus.
Finance—Museum finance and accounting professionals play an important role in overseeing all financial activities. This team processes and tracks all revenue sources and disburses payment for all expenses. They also work with our investment advisors to oversee the endowment and ensure compliance with regulatory agencies, audits, and tax filings.
Fund Development—The Fund Development team helps support the museum’s mission by establishing and maintaining lasting relationships with our key constituencies. This includes actively securing contributed income, building a network of individual and organizational supporters, and creating mutually beneficial partnerships.
Human Resources and Organizational Development—This team is committed to hiring, nurturing, training, and retaining a dynamic and diverse group of staff, volunteers, and interns who advance the museum’s mission. From benefits administration to professional development, this department provides oversight and service to the museum’s greatest assets—its people!
IT—The Information Technology department is responsible for ensuring that the sophisticated technology needs of the museum are met. They are engaged in everything from the back-of-the-house infrastructure technology to the creative media and interactive technology in the exhibits. IT handles network infrastructure, desktop support, internal business systems, gallery technology, websites, interactives, sound and light, mobile technologies, and more.
Interpretation—From gallery facilitators, to trained actors within exhibits, to full-scale Lilly Theater productions, our Interpretation department plays an integral role here. They bring the museum to life by delivering world-class interpretation programs and presentations to our visitors.
Marketing, Communications—Our Marketing staff spend their days sharing the wonderful stories about the museum with the world! This capable group works in the areas of advertising and communications, social media, public and media relations, strategic messaging, branding, and community initiatives.
Marketing, Creative Design—The Creative Design department is responsible for creating the internal and external visual materials for the museum, as well as writing the marketing messages. This team includes creative marketing staff, graphic designers, and copyeditors.
Museum Store—Our award-winning specialty retail store has an extensive and unique assortment of toys and gifts that are carefully selected to keep families learning long after they visit. The knowledgeable and friendly staff are always ready to help our visitors find the perfect items to inspire and delight.
Security—With over 1.2 million children and families visiting our campus each year, we pride ourselves on ensuring that every visit is safe! The museum security professionals provide a safe and secure environment and safeguard precious museum assets. This team includes Emergency First Response Officers and Control Room Operators.
Visitor Services—The Visitor Services team greets and welcomes over 1.2 million people every year! This talented group is responsible for delivering exceptional customer service and general security support to our visitors. You will find them at the garage entrance, Illinois Street crosswalk, ticket gates, Concierge Desk, and running the Carousel.
Volunteers and Interns—Our Volunteers and Interns team is responsible for selecting and managing our highly skilled and diverse group of adult and family volunteers, as well as college undergraduate and graduate interns year-round.
