Play Street Museum To Open In South Loop

Illinois is getting its first Play Street Museum. The interactive children’s museum will be located at Roosevelt Collection Shops. PHOTO PROVIDED BY ROOSEVELT COLLECTION SHOPS.
Illinois is getting its first Play Street Museum. The interactive children’s museum will be located at Roosevelt Collection Shops. PHOTO PROVIDED BY ROOSEVELT COLLECTION SHOPS.

Play Street Museum To Open In South Loop

By Tia Carol Jones

Crystal Allen’s opening of the Play Street Museum has been a work in progress for three years. Allen, who lives on the South side, was looking for fun and educational activities for her daughter to do and the places were mostly in the suburbs. She didn’t think she should have to drive an hour outside the city for activities.

Allen had a concept and wanted to do her own thing. She started to develop the concept and pitching people in the entertainment space. In her conversations, two people mentioned Play Street Museum, which is based in Dallas, to her. She looked into it and visited the locations. She walked in and fell in love.

“I loved it, aesthetically it’s just so clean and the high ceilings and everything is visually appealing. Then, I learned it’s curriculum based and they support kiddos that need a bit of sensory and all of the different components of what they do to stay fresh. I just fell in love with the concept and haven’t looked back,” she said.

With Play Street Museum, Allen is filling the void for parents who want activities within the city limits and an environment that is conducive to learning and having a good time. Play Street Museum allows for interactive discovery and play, with a self-navigated experience for children ages 8 years old and younger. Children are able to explore the exhibits during the day and participate in evening and seasonal special events, as well as birthday parties. The Play Street Museum will also be open for field trips for groups of children to come to play.

Allen said there are a lot of families who live in the South Loop area and there aren’t a lot of options for places to take their children to play. She said what is great about Play Street Museum is that it is not just a place for the children to be entertained, there is a learning component to it.

Allen said Play Street Museum encourages young children to discover. Because of the smaller format, the children get all the fun of a larger museum, but parents are able to let the children roam free while still being able to see where the children are for supervision. Parents are able to book 90-minute sessions, which they can reserve online on the website.

Allen anticipates the opening to take place in December but is already creating a buzz through social media announcing that advance reservations are available for the space. She said people are excited and can’t wait to bring their children.

“Just the level of excitement that we’ve received from the community has been crazy,” Allen said.

Allen’s hope for the Play Street Museum is that it will become a staple in the community. She wants parents to know their children will learn something new, they will be able to explore different topics and areas that work with whatever they learn at school and at home. She wants it to be a go-to for the community. She wants them to know there is a place they can go to and be amongst other parents and be in a safe space. She wants the parents to feel supported the moment they walk into the Play Street Museum.

The Play Street Museum is located at Roosevelt Collection Shops, 1119 S. Delano Court. For more information about Play Street Museum and to book in advance, visit https://www.southloop.playstreetmuseum.com/ or call 312-278-2225.

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