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Boxyard RTP announces new tenant
Kidzu Children’s Museum is all grown up. The team behind the popular Chapel Hill kids’ museum announced their latest concept, The Makery, is set to bow early spring in Boxyard RTP, promising science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) activities for tweens, teens and adults.
“Kidzu Children’s Museum is bringing something really special to Boxyard RTP with The Makery,” says Carolyn Coia, vice president of real estate at Research Triangle Foundation of NC. “This kind of hands-on creative space aligns with our mission to create a lively, engaging environment for everyone who visits.”
The museum has offered STEAM learning since 2006, first out of its original location on Franklin Street and currently at a spot next to Binkley Preschool called The Nest—but has always catered to kids under about 12 years old.
Now, they’ll be swapping out toddlers for tweens, and third graders for 30 YOs with The Makery as the museum continues to grow alongside the families it serves.
“It’s such an incredibly important time in a young person’s life when they are experimenting and thinking about things,” Kidzu CEO Jamie DeMent Holcomb says of why The Makery will cater to older kids and beyond. “[With STEAM] you can teach things about science, technology and math in ways that are fun and engaging that don’t necessarily feel like work or school.”
When it comes to makings at The Makery, Holcomb says to expect “any and all kinds of making” to help people embrace their inner maker—from sewing and woodworking classes to robotics workshops, in addition to more traditional arts and crafts. 3D printing will also take center stage. With the printers occupying the front windows, gawking at creations will be encouraged by those passing by.
Upon opening, The Makery will kick off with predominantly open making sessions for people to make whatever is calling to them, but Holcomb says they’ll also have a few scheduled sessions each week and that the space will evolve over time.
For those who are more into socializing than making, Holcomb says the space will also offer things like a parents’ night out, with future plans in the works for day camps and the like as well. So, prepare to wake and make, baby.
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