Are We There Yet?
Looking for a day trip for the kids over Spring Break? Or some Saturday family fun? Check out the Children’s Hands-On Museum (CHOM) of Tuscaloosa where “curiosity, creativity and discovery” abound! CHOM offers newborns through age 13 a fabulous place just for them! The Museum is open Monday through Friday 9-5pm and Saturdays 10-4pm and is located at 2213 University Boulevard, 35401. Learning though play is what the museum is all about. Children are encouraged to touch, feel and play in the 25 exhibits which range from taking a trip back in time to visit a one room school and a mid-century drug store to exploring a Choctaw Indians settlement and playing dress up in “Grandma’s Attic.” Kids can even jump aboard an actual wheel house of a tugboat, “milk” a life size Holstein and visit a traditional Japanese home.
Three floors of fun await families and school groups, too. Each month CHOM also hosts special events and holiday celebrations. Don’t miss the “St. Patrick’s Day Search for Shamrocks” on Saturday March 17 10am-4pm in which kids can search the museum for lucky Shamrock Coins all day and trade coins for prizes in the Lucky Leprechaun Shoppe. March 24, 10am-4pm, is “3-2-1 Blastoff!” which gives kids a chance to test their engineering and astronaut skills, experiment with gravity and launch a rocket. And there is an Eggstra-Special treat on Saturday, March 31, 10 am-4pm, when kids can enjoy fun Easter games and crafts. All these special events are included with admission (Under 1 free, 1-2 years $6, 3-59 years $9, 60 years and older $7). CHOM memberships start at $75 and include a year of free general admission plus discounts on special events. You can also pay for a regular admission and after you have been won over to come back, apply what you have paid toward your year membership. School field trips are available for Pre-K through 5th grade and meet Common Core and Alabama College and Career-Ready Standards. CHOM can also coordinate for teachers the scheduling of other Tuscaloosa area attractions to create a fun, all day learning experience for students. Learn more at www.chomoline.org or call 205-349-4235. †
