North Iowa Children's Museum Secures New Site for Future Building

The new facility aims to provide a safe and educational space for kids to learn and play.

Apr. 6, 2026 at 12:05pm

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The North Iowa Children's Museum has secured a site in Clear Lake, Iowa to build a new one-story facility with lofted ceilings to support multi-height exhibits and climbing exhibits. The goal is to create a space that fosters education and growth through creativity and fun, as the closest children's museum is currently 70 miles away in Rochester.

Why it matters

The new children's museum will provide a much-needed resource for families in the North Iowa region, offering educational and recreational opportunities for kids during all seasons, especially the winter months when options are limited in Clear Lake.

The details

The new museum site is located at 2405 15th Ave N in the Fieldstone neighborhood of Clear Lake. The facility is expected to be one-story with lofted ceilings to support a variety of interactive exhibits, including potential automotive, agriculture, and life-skills themed areas. The museum plans to complete the project in 18 months, with 6 months dedicated to fundraising and 12 months for construction.

  • The North Iowa Children's Museum secured the new site in March 2026.
  • The organization plans to complete the project in 18 months, with 6 months for fundraising and 12 months for construction.

The players

North Iowa Children's Museum

A non-profit organization that aims to provide educational and recreational opportunities for children in the North Iowa region.

Ellen Sedlock

A board member of the North Iowa Children's Museum who discussed the plans for the new facility.

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What they’re saying

“The goal is really to have a place to foster education and growth and doing that through creativity and fun.”

— Ellen Sedlock, Board Member, North Iowa Children's Museum

What’s next

The North Iowa Children's Museum plans to complete the fundraising for the new facility within the next 6 months, with construction expected to take an additional 12 months.

The takeaway

The new North Iowa Children's Museum will provide a valuable resource for families in the region, offering educational and recreational opportunities for children year-round in a centralized location, helping to address the lack of such facilities in the area.