University of Virginia Hospital Children's Health Museum records

The Children's Museum opened in July 1980 and served a little over 1400 children its first year under Director Katya Gothie. Designed for children from ages 3 to 6 and located in the Primary Care Center, it was a project of the University League which in 1981 became the Junior League of Charlottesville. In May 1985 the Junior League donated the Museum to the University to be funded by the hospital and private donations. The Director in 1985, Linda Seaman, described the hands-on museum as more of a discovery room than a museum. Marge Sidebottom was the Director in 1988. In January 1989 she was followed by Ellen Vaughan who remained Director until the Museum was closed. It reached its peak in terms of numbers served in 1993-94 when more than 15,000 children benefited from the Museum's programs and then hovered slightly above 10,000 in the following years. Sometime in the mid 1990s the name was changed from the Children's Museum to the Children's Health Museum. Most of the child visitors were "walk-ins" who were patients themselves or accompanied by patients or visitors of patients. Others came on educational field trips from schools or were in-patients. The Director also taught health-related educational programs in area schools and community activities. The Museum was designed to teach children about various aspects of health including nutrition, organ systems, and growth, as well as ease children's fears about hospitals, doctors, and medical procedures.