Explore & More to reopen to the public Saturday with 'Pay what you wish!' admission

Treehouse exhibit on museum’s fourth floor remains closed until further notice

Explore & More – The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Children’s Museum will be open for play again on Saturday, May 11, with “Pay what you wish!” admission.

Guests will have the option of paying either $7, $10 or $13 for admission May 11-12 and May 15-19, as the museum resumes its normal operating hours (Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.). General admission is usually $13.

A mechanical failure of the museum’s fire suppression system on Monday led to extreme flooding on the third and fourth floors of the museum. The community treehouse on the fourth floor is undergoing repairs and is closed until further notice. Explore & More’s leadership team is working with Buffalo Treehouse, which designed and constructed the exhibit, to plan what is next.

Organizers stated, “With the treehouse offline, we are also working diligently to maximize the fun in other spaces of the museum.

“As damage continues to be assessed, we are committed to making the safety of all guests our top priority.”

The museum will be closed to the public Thursday, May 9 and Friday, May 10.

The press release added, “We would like to thank the community for their words of encouragement and support. As a museum that is 95% self-funded, the backing of the community ensures that the play continues.

“Members of the general public and businesses looking to provide additional support to the museum may do so through a donation in an amount of their choosing. They can visit the donation page at exploreandmore.org for more information. Gift cards are also available for sale.

“And Saturday marks the start of Mothers & More Weekend at the museum as we celebrate the amazing women who nurture and care for others.”

Here is a list of programming events scheduled for this weekend:

All weekend:

√ Origami tulips

√ Card making

Saturday, May 11:

√ Bath bombs with Milk for Health (noon-2 p.m.)

√ Botanical Gardens plant activity

√ Alice Ever After Books storytime (11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.)

Sunday, May 12:

√ Dragon Girl Tea sampling (11 a.m.-1 p.m.)

√ Plant-able flowers