Maritime Exploration Space Open!

Following a fundraising campaign that included competitive grants as well as individual gifts, TCHM reached its starting target of $75,000 in the fall of 2024, and began concept and design work with Meta4Mat, a Grand Rapids design firm which specializes in vivid and creative displays for corporations, colleges, and museums. Early grantors included the Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation, the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation, and the Louit Foundation. By spring of 2025, the Museum had raised $146,318 of the needed $150,000.

The project, accomplished over approximately 10 months, saw the demolition of aging materials, such as the peeling flooring, and the installation of new lighting and sound technology, plus the design and build of the lighthouse, catwalk, and foghouse that perfectly mimic the iconic Grand Haven structures. Images from Tri-Cities maritime history are integrated into the design, which also thoughtfully provides a transition to the nearby ‘Wigwam’ exhibit, situated in a wooded scene, with a ‘tree’ whose branches arch over the play space.

Erica Layton, Executive Director of the Museum, noted, “Passersby along Washington Avenue will now look through two 20’ corner windows onto a space where kids are engaged in learning using all of their senses: hearing a soundscape of waves and wind, viewing the shoreline, and feeling the textures of sand, rope, and wood.”

The Maritime Exploration Space engages toddlers through (about) six-year olds, who learn through experiencing the world with both their bodies and brains. “Meta4Mat’s team listened to our ideas and came back with an appealing space that will allow activities alongside history exploration”, said Ellen Paulin, TCHM’s Education Curator.