4A ❚ WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2019 ❚ APPEAL TRIBUNE
Life in the Valley
The front kiosk will be removed and the entryway will be redesigned in the coming year to make way for a bubble exhibit at Gilbert House Children's Museum in
Salem. The Gilbert House is celebrating 30 years with a birthday party on Dec. 21. Photographed on Dec. 10, 2019. ANNA REED / STATESMAN JOURNAL
Celebrate Gilbert House’s
30-year anniversary
Abby Luschei
Salem Statesman Journal
USA TODAY NETWORK
Emile Holden was determined to set
a record.
The 3-year-old was running around
the “Up, Up and Away“ exhibit at the Gil-
bert House Children’s Museum with his
dad, Nathan. They wanted to get every
foam piece scattered on the floor into
the exhibit’s vertical wind tube.
“Up, Up and Away” allows children to
learn about aerodynamics.
Next door, 2-year-old Amaya Vierra
was exploring the museum’s “Farm to
Table“ exhibit. She pretended to drive a
tractor and then showed her mom the
apple and potato she “picked from the
orchard.”
It’s this type of play that’s been at the
heart of Gilbert House since it officially
opened Dec. 19, 1989 — meaning this
month marks the museum’s 30th anni-
versary.
Everyone’s invited to a birthday par-
ty on Saturday, Dec. 21, to celebrate the
milestone.
Over three decades, the children’s
museum located by Riverfront Park has
become quite the destination. Alicia
Bay, executive director of Gilbert House,
said they see about 100,000 visitors
each year, with about 60% coming from
the Salem and Keizer area.
“The group that started this museum
... had such an early vision for what this
could be for the community,” she said.
“(30 years is) really exciting.”
Bay and promotions coordinator Sa-
mantha Bowdoin are proud of the mu-
seum’s growth the last several years,
like an increased amount of visitors an-
nually and reaching different demo-
graphics within the community.
The next year or so will bring many
changes to the nonprofit. This includes
the Outdoor Discovery Area transform-
ing into The Inventor’s Yard, a project
announced in December 2018 slated to
come to fruition in 2021.
Sierra Langford, exhibits and facili-
ties coordinator for Gilbert House, said
most of the outdoor playscape will be
replaced. The current structure had
about a 20-year life expectancy, and
they are currently in year 21.
The updated outdoor playscape will
improve accessibility by removing most
stairs and overhead obstacles and have
more nature-based play opportunities,
Emile Holden, 3, of Salem, plays at Gilbert House Children's Museum in Salem on Dec. 10. The Gilbert House is celebrating
30 years with a birthday party on Dec. 21. ANNA REED/STATESMAN JOURNAL
Langford said.
But the most anticipated change is
the return of the Bubble Room, a pop-
ular exhibit that flooded in 2012. Bay
said they are constantly getting asked
about its return.
“It’s such a fun part of Salem history
that people connect to ... and have such
distinct and fond memories of being in it
as a child,” she said. “To bring it back in
a way for the next generation to play in a
really new and improved way, we are ex-
cited about that.”
“Bill’s Bubble Factory“ will feature
five different ways to play with bubbles
and is set to be completed by May 2020.
It’ll be featured front and center near the
entrance, outside the historic houses,
where there are currently ramps and a
kiosk.
The future is bringing many changes
to Gilbert House, but Bowdoin said they
didn’t want to pass up the opportunity
to celebrate what the museum’s accom-
plished the past 30 years.
Admission to Gilbert House will be
free Saturday, Dec. 21, from 10 a.m. to 5
p.m. Everyone is invited to explore the
exhibits, play outside, participate in
birthday activities and enjoy birthday
treats while supplies last.
For
more
information,
visit
acgilbert.org.
Abby Luschei is the arts and enter-
tainment reporter for the Statesman
Journal and can be reached at alus-
chei@statesmanjournal.com or 503-
399-6747.
If you go
What: Gilbert House Children’s
Museum 30th birthday party
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday,
Dec. 21
Location: 116 Marion St. NE
Information: 503-371-3631
Interested in telling at one of the up-
coming Salem Storytellers Project
events?
Submit
your
story:
www.storytellersproject.com/tell.