The Life of a Traveling Exhibit

Ever wonder why some exhibits are only at The Children’s Museum for a few months? They’re traveling exhibits moving from venue to venue across the U.S. Our museum works with brand partners and other organizations to develop traveling exhibits, but also hosts exhibits that other museums create. Here’s a peek at how they work!

Planning

Exhibit development team planning Nickelodeon's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles™: Secrets of the Sewer™ exhibit.

Developing a traveling exhibit or “traveler,” can sometimes take up to two years before the exhibit opens.

Prototype of seagull rescue interactive. Sign on the cardboard display says
Prototype of Baby Seagull Rescue for the PAW Patrol: Adventure Play exhibit.

Pitching

Once there’s a solid concept and design, our team will begin reaching out to other venues interested in renting the exhibit. Venues must meet certain requirements, including sufficient exhibit space and staffing.

Building

As our talented team designs and constructs the exhibit, they consider things like durability, how easily pieces can be taken apart and reassembled, and how pieces will fit into crates and trucks for shipping.

Painting graffiti on object in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles exhibit.
Exhibit graphics designer adding grafitti to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Secrets of the Sewer exhibit.

Opening

The exhibit is then installed at The Children’s Museum and open for all visitors to enjoy.

Museum staff member talking with family at entrance to Dora and Diego: Let's Explore exhibit.
Museum staff member greeting family during the opening of Dora & Diego—Let's Explore! exhibit.

Taking down

Once an exhibit that we created is ready to hit the road, it takes about four days for it to come down. We document the process and pack everything into crates.

Objects from Hot Wheels™: Race to Win™ after exhibit deinstallation.

Shipping

Crates are then loaded onto semi trucks. Most of our exhibits fill two trucks, but others may require three or even four.

Large wooden crates.
PAW Patrol: Adventure Play exhibit ready to ship.

Installing

Setup at other venues also takes about four days. One of our employees travels to each venue to help with both installing and taking down. Typically, venues host a traveler for three to four months.

Person on ladder working on exhibit installation.
Installing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Secrets of the Sewer exhibit.

Retiring

Traveling exhibits live on after they leave The Children’s Museum, but, eventually, their run may end. That depends on the exhibits’ popularity, its condition, and feedback from brand partners.

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