February is Black History Month. Period. My family was invited to an African American Heritage event held at the Florida Children’s Museum in Lakeland, FL. I visited this museum many years ago, formerly Explorations V Children’s Museum, when I first moved to Florida, but in the last couple of years, it has now moved (& changed their name) to a beautiful location surrounded by beautiful scenery in the heart of Lakeland.
During the African American event, they had many guests speak and perform, including the President of the local NAACP chapter, a 4-year-old speaking sensation Ashley, a child author, piano performances, and community resource vendors. It was great to see so many children express themselves with amazing talent.
The new location is at Bonnet Springs Park, 600 Bonnet Springs Blvd. Lakeland, FL 33815. The museum is 47,800sq ft, features 6 exhibits and 2 floors of interactive galleries. It’s free parking, and right next to a beautiful welcome center that connects to a 1.7-mile-long paved trail. If you arrive hungry, there is a The Depot Cafe across from the museum that serves good food and even has a rooftop area for the fancy folks.
This museum is designed for children 12 and younger. Here are a few of the exhibits in the museum:
Design Park Exhibit
Watermelon Seeds Exhibit
City Play Exhibit
Publix Exhibit
Orange Juice Factory
Sheriff’s Car and Fire Truck
Bay News 9 and Central Florida 13 Weather Center.
Stop Mo exhibit
The museum is also a sensory-friendly museum and designed with all kids in mind. They’ve even created Sensory Kits for family who may need them, that include noise reducing headphones, sunglasses and a sensory toy.
Our time was cut short because we went to enjoy the Black History program, and my son wasn’t really able to enjoy everything the museum had to offer. We did walk around, and I could tell, I’m going to have to bring him back and just let him explore. If you’re in Lakeland or the surrounding cities, definitely check out this museum. Your children will love it.
