As visitors enter the Children’s Museum of Walla Walla (CMWW), they are greeted by vibrant murals and children enjoying new playrooms modeled after a small town in an area called the Home Town Village. The CMWW opened its doors in 2004, and now operates from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each week barring Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The museum provides a colorful and welcoming space for kids and parents alike, with the aim of supporting low-income families with tiered membership prices and special programming.
Local sponsors, in tandem with grants and community support, fund programming at the CMWW. The museum also received a $20,000 grant from the Wildhorse Foundation in 2024. Using this funding, the museum constructed the Home Town Village, a series of playrooms decorated to look like a town. In addition to these sources, Operations Manager Becky Killian explained that the Veterans Association (VA) has supplemented the museum’s rent payments, and employees at the VA receive free membership for their kids to enjoy the space.
“Two founding members came when we got the grant from Wildhorse for the other room. They came to that and told me that we had a 99-year lease with the VA — that we are not supposed to pay rent for 99 years,” Killian said.
According to Killian, this agreement allows the CMWW to lower admission prices and sustain their STARS program, through which SNAP-eligible families may receive a free membership at the museum. Employees emphasize the importance of keeping the space accessible to a variety of families, and Killian explained the potential difficulty for parents to find a safe space to play with their kids, especially on a tighter budget.
“It’s hard to do fun things with your kids and still be able to afford it,” Killian said. “People come from Richland because they want to bring their kids somewhere, so they’ll come all the way here to play [where] it’s affordable and because it’s fun and it’s an all-day thing.”
One patron, Ali Rodriguez, shared her view as a caretaker and returning visitor. In an interview with The Wire, Rodriguez shared that the museum has always supported her kids’ interests and curiosity.
“One of our favorite things is to pretend play [as] firemen,” Rodriguez said. “It got them so into being firemen that we actually ended up baking cookies to take to the fire stations… it all started here [at the Children’s Museum].”
For Rodriguez, seeing familiar faces from the museum around Walla Walla brightens both her and the kids’ days. She described how seeing friends and knowing they understand her makes Walla Walla feel less lonely.
“The Children’s Museum has been a really great place to bring [the kids] and let them simply be kids and be loud and not have to worry that you’ll have to inconvenience random adults,” Rodriguez said.
The museum’s bright environment, like that in the Home Town Village, plays a key role in providing a welcoming and playful space for both children and caretakers. Kathy Bense, who serves as a board member for the museum, discussed the colorful atmosphere and the precision needed to create a welcoming space for families.
“The atmosphere has to be something that welcomes kids in and makes them want to stay,” Bense said. “It’s great too for families who don’t always have access to preschool to be able to come to some place where we have developmental toys and play that kids can take advantage of.”
Bense and Killian curate the museum to engage with kids and to offer discounted or budget-friendly memberships for parents. Another budget-friendly option involves the College Place branch of the Walla Walla County Rural Library District, where patrons can check out a museum pass like a library book. This option is meant to function like a trial period before guardians consider purchasing a three-month or year-long membership. The CMWW seeks to support and provide for low-income visitors in Walla Walla through their budget accessible programs and an environment that encourages play amongst children and their caretakers.
