The Woodlands Children’s Museum brings to life more extraordinary hands-on adventures with the opening of The Amazing Castle. Visitors to The Amazing Castle are transported to a magical place and time—inside the castle’s stone walls lays a happy and peaceful little community where every citizen has a special job to do.
Children can don costumes and engage in role-play by becoming lords and ladies, castle villagers, or even “HiJinx the Jester.” Visitors can try their hands in the Royal Workshops with “Trim the Tailor” or “Gable the Carpenter.” After picking vegetables in the garden, kids can tote them to the Great Hall to cook up a royal meal or visit the tower to wake “Herald,” the sleeping dragon! The Amazing Castle is designed for visitors of all ages and will be at The Woodlands Children’s Museum through May 4, 2024.
“Providing an opportunity to empower creativity and time travel for children and families is very exciting for the museum,” stated Angela Colton, the museum’s Executive Director. “All things magical, such as dragons and castles and costuming, ushers in imaginative and creative role play to introduce cultural influences from medieval life, explore history and provide storytelling.”
Exhibit Features:
As visitors explore The Amazing Castle and its eight themed areas, they will encounter graphic panels introducing seven citizens who are part of the castle community. From entertaining to sewing, each citizen has a special duty to do. As they move through the castle, visitors can playfully explore ideas related to community life. Children will experience the interconnectedness of individuals as they interact with friends, family and new acquaintances.
Exhibit Entry and Big Book – From the moment visitors walk through the entrance to The Amazing Castle, they are transported to a magical time and place—and the fantasy begins! “Lord Ben” and “Lady Evolent” welcome children and adults and make sure the castle is a safe and healthy place to live. Visitors can begin their adventure by reading the story of The Amazing Castle, which introduces the castle citizens and depicts the interconnectedness of those living in the castle.
The Keep – The Keep is a fortress sure to be enjoyed by our youngest royals. Toddlers can create a miniature, magical community in a castle-inspired dollhouse, build their own fortress out of “stone” blocks and play with a castle busy wall.
The Great Hall and Garden – Friends and family can take a seat at the royal table while children prepare a wonderful, magical meal with “Kipper the Cook.” They can put on an apron and select ingredients from a larder stocked with bread, vegetables and fruits, and choose a main course! Or, they can put on a garden smock and join “Posey the Gardener” in the royal garden, where visitors can pick and plant vegetables and gather eggs from a hen in the garden shed. To prepare and cook their meal, children can use wooden bowls, cooking utensils and a fireplace complete with a glowing fire, a spit and a cauldron. When the meal is ready, kids can serve their friends and family a heaping helping on wooden plates. Bon appetit!
Royal Puppet Theatre – Children and adults will become castle entertainers when they visit “HiJinx the Jester” in the Royal Puppet Theatre. Visitors present a puppet show using castle character puppets. Children can pick out a fancy robe, pull up a throne and become the Lord or Lady, or don the jester’s costume and entertain the Lord and Lady.
The Royal Workshops – In the Tailor Shop, children and adults can try their hand at repairing and making clothing for all of the castle citizens with “Trim the Tailor.” Visitors play a game and design costumes, from sensible to ridiculous, by mixing and matching puzzle pieces. Children can also create their own outfits and discover how silly their costumes appear when they look at themselves in a distorted mirror!
After visiting the Tailor Shop, children and adults can head over to the Carpenter’s Shop, grab a work apron, and help “Gable the Carpenter” build a simple table or chair using mortise and tenon construction, or put together something of their own design.
After assisting Gable, children can join “Synge the Blacksmith” in the Blacksmith Shop and help her affix a metal patch to the hole in Kipper’s big iron cauldron. Children and adults can also pretend to repair iron tools using a stone forge with “glowing” coals, a water bucket, and Synge’s anvil.
The Dragon Tower – The Dragon Tower is home to “Herald the Dragon,” who announces important information to the citizens of The Amazing Castle. But Herald keeps falling asleep and needs to be awakened frequently. Visitors will love waking Herald, who rises from the top of the tower, by matching each of the six electronic castle character puzzle pieces with his or her appropriate tool or symbol.
The Amazing Castle exhibit is included in the price of admission, which is $9 for adults and children 1 year and older. Members are free but encouraged to reserve a ticket online. Pre-purchasing tickets is highly recommended by visiting our website at www.woodlandschildrensmuseum.org/event-tickets. The museum is open Tuesdays – Thursdays from 10:00am – 2:00pm, Fridays 10:00am – 4:00pm, and Saturdays 10:00am – 5:00pm. Closed Sundays and Mondays.
