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Children’s Museum of Richmond plans Chesterfield expansion

Posted at 12:39 PM, Nov 14, 2011
and last updated 2012-03-19 08:46:49-04

RICHMOND, VA (WTVR) – The Children’s Museum of Richmond (CMoR) announced plans to open a satellite location in Chesterfield County next year.

George and Cindy Harrison provided the money, through the Mary Anderson Harrison Foundation, that will be used to help fund the new Chesterfield location.

The Children’s Museum of Richmond is looking for locations in the Route 288/Hull Street road area of Chesterfield, according to CMoR Director of Community and Media Relations Michelle Rosman.

Karen Coltrane, president and CEO of the Children’s Museum, said they will not build a new structure, but instead look to existing space in that part of town.

The Children’s Museum implemented a similar strategy when it expanded into West Broad Village in Short Pump in June 2010.

Approximately 5,000 families are members of the Children’s Museum of Richmond and have access to museum locations in both the city of Richmond and in Short Pump.

Nearly 700 of those families have Chesterfield addresses.

Coltrane said once the Chesterfield location opened, she hoped the number of member families in Chesterfield would triple.

She said the museum experienced similar growth after opening the Short Pump location.

Coltrane said studies found families who live in Chesterfield near Route 288 and Robious Road would make the trip to the Children’s Museum in Short Pump, but families who lived deeper in Chesterfield would not.

That helped the museum make the decision to expand south of the James River.