Mission

The Children’s Hands-On Museum is a dynamic learning experience that stimulates curiosity, creativity, and shared discovery in all ages.

History

The Children’s Hands-On Museum is a private, non-profit, community-based organization. The idea for CHOM began in 1984 with a group of children in the Tuscalooa County Schools’ TARGET program. Their idea gained support from the community, and in 1986, CHOM opened on the University of Alabama campus.

CHOM relocated to downtown Tuscaloosa in November 1988, and it reopened in January 1989.

CHOM’s permanent exhibits were designed to stimulate children’s curiosity about their community and their place in it, and to involve children, parents, teachers, and others in participatory education. Early exhibits included a Choctaw Indian Village; a historical gallery including a general store, a bank, a print shop, and Grandmother’s Attic; a hospital; and a planetarium. Newer exhibits include the replica of the wheelhouse of a towboat; a developmental center for preschoolers called Beavers’ Bend; the Japan House; Central Drug; and the Arts Studio. The most recent additions include Once Upon a Farm, Lil’ Sprouts Farmer’s Market,  the Creation Station, a hands-on center for art and creativityand Beyond the Garden Gate.

With the support of the community, the City of Tuscaloosa, the state of Alabama, and the City and County Schools, CHOM has become an established and vital part of the community and is a highly-regarded educational institution and tourist destination.