The Gilbert House Children's Museum is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) children's museum within Riverfront Park located in

Salem, Oregon Salem ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County, Oregon, Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, w ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Founded in 1989. The museum has 16 hands-on S.T.E.A.M. exhibits, a 20,000 ft² Outdoor Discovery Area, field trips, STEM Workshops, membership opportunities, summer camps, and educational programs in the sciences, arts, and humanities. This hands-on museum was named in honor of

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

inventor An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition, idea, or process. An invention may be an improvement upon a machine, product, or process for increasing efficiency or lowering cost. It may also be an entirely new concept. If an ...

Alfred Carlton Gilbert Alfred Carlton Gilbert (February 15, 1884 – January 24, 1961) was an American inventor, athlete, magician, toy maker and businessman. As the founder of A. C. Gilbert Company, Gilbert was known for inventing the Erector Set and American Fly ...

and displays several of his inventions, most notably the

Erector Set Erector Set (trademark styled as "ERECTOR") was a brand of metal toy construction sets which were originally patented by Alfred Carlton Gilbert and first sold by his company, the Mysto Manufacturing Company of New Haven, Connecticut, in 1913. ...

. In fact, the Museum is home to the world's largest Erector Set tower at 52 feet. Originally home to the

National Toy Hall of Fame The National Toy Hall of Fame is a U.S. hall of fame that recognizes the contributions of toys and games that have sustained their popularity for many years. Criteria for induction include: icon status (the toy is widely recognized, respected, a ...

, the museum sold the Hall of Fame to the Strong - National Museum of Play in 2002. Besides its interactive exhibits, Gilbert House Children's Museum also provides summer camps, birthday party packages, and outreach programs. The museum is housed in several historic

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...

buildings, including the Andrew T. Gilbert House, which is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

(NRHP), and a 1998 replica of the Wilson-Durbin House, which was also NRHP-listed until it was destroyed by fire in 1990.

Exhibits

* Outdoor Discovery Area, including the Erector Set Tower – A 52 feet high erector set tower; the largest in the world. There are also 3 giant slides and a maze. * Farm to Table * All About Me * The Creative Space * Gilbert Engineering Studio * Fortopia * Tinker Tracks *Vet Clinic *Grandma's Clubhouse *Lights! Camera! Action! *Up, Up and Away *Salem Station *Forest Friends Toddler Room *Main Street *Recollections *Eye Euphoria *A.C. Gilbert's Legacy of Play *Bill's Bubble Factory *Natures Workshop

References

External links

Gilbert House Children's Museum homepageHistoric photos of the Gilbert House
from the University of Oregon digital archives Children's museums in Oregon Museums in Salem, Oregon Gilbert Gilbert Gilbert, Andrew T. House Association of Science-Technology Centers member institutions {{Oregon-NRHP-stub