Peoria PlayHouse Children's Museum

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Peoria PlayHouse Children's Museum Play, create, imagine, and explore at the Peoria PlayHouse Children's Museum! Admission: $9 per person; $8 for Seniors and Active Military.
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Children under the age of 1 admitted free. The Peoria PlayHouse Children's Museum opened in June 2015. Built by the Junior League of Peoria, in collaboration with Peoria Park District and Peoria Zoological Society, The PlayHouse is a hands-on, interactive children’s museum. It is located in the historic Glen Oak Park Pavilion building within Glen Oak Park, adjacent to Peoria Zoo and near Luthy Botanical Garden, providing a full-day destination for families in our region. OUR CORE VALUES:

We believe that a kid can be anything they want to be. They need only the opportunity and inspiration to imagine, practice, and become. We believe that we are more effective when we collaborate with others. Collaboration with individuals and organizations throughout and beyond Peoria allows us to effectively support families and achieve shared goals. We believe that the PlayHouse is for all children and families, regardless of income, abilities, or background. We believe that we are catalysts. A good museum experience sparks experiences and ideas that happen after and between visits. Who knows where a visit to the PlayHouse might lead?

10/16/2026

Coming through with a fresh delivery! 🍎🚚

A little peek at something NEW rolling into the PlayHouse... 👀

Our hard hats are still on over here at the PlayHouse, and things are really starting to come together! 🛠️🚧🛒 Parkside Ma...
10/14/2026

Our hard hats are still on over here at the PlayHouse, and things are really starting to come together! 🛠️🚧

🛒 Parkside Market is getting closer to opening for business! Our once-open porch is now enclosed with glass, creating a whole new space for little shoppers to explore. And those pieces waiting to be moved in? They're part of the market's checkout area!

🌊 Even some familiar favorites are getting some TLC! Downstairs, the water table is drained for some cleaning, maintenance, and a little makeover of its own.

🔨 Imagination Station is taking shape, too! The new home of Real Tools is now enclosed, and some brand-new cabinets are ready to be filled with all the tools and supplies our little makers will need to get creative!

There's still plenty happening behind the scenes, but every day brings us a little closer to welcoming you back for more PLAY! 💛

Calling all fall break makers! 📣🔨🎨We’re bringing plenty of opportunities to build, tinker and create to the Noble Center...
10/08/2026

Calling all fall break makers! 📣🔨🎨

We’re bringing plenty of opportunities to build, tinker and create to the Noble Center!

FRIDAY → Real Tools Drop-In 🪚
Put real tools in the hands of young makers and let their ideas lead the way. There’s no single “right” thing to make. The fun is in exploring, experimenting and creating!

SATURDAY → Fall Crafternoon ✂️
Trade the tools for craft supplies and spend your Saturday getting creative with our Playologists.
🔗 Register for Fall Crafternoon: [LINK]

Whether your kiddo would rather BUILD it or CRAFT it, we've got some fall break fun with their name on it. 🍂✨

📍 Noble Center

10/07/2026

Our Playologists have been hard at work on a VERY important part of reopening... play testing! 👀🧪

One of the new additions coming to Imagination Station is a shake table that will give young makers a whole new way to experiment, explore and test their ideas! 🌀 Using KEVA planks, blocks and other available materials, kids can create whatever they can imagine. A tower? A bridge? Something we've never even thought of? 💭📐 What they build is entirely up to them!

Then comes the fun part... put it on the shake table and see what happens! 🫨 Does it wobble? Does it stand? Does it come crashing down? 💥 What happens if you change something and try again?

There's no single "right" thing to build or one way to do it. It's all about exploring an idea, putting it to the test and seeing where curiosity takes you. 🧠⚡

Our Playologists gave it a test run... and soon it'll be your turn! 👏

More progress is happening behind the scenes at the PlayHouse! 🔨Walls and doorways are going up for Imagination Station,...
10/02/2026

More progress is happening behind the scenes at the PlayHouse! 🔨

Walls and doorways are going up for Imagination Station, a new space on the lower level that will become the new home for Real Tools 🏗️🚧 Soon, young makers will be back to building, experimenting and exploring in a space designed just for them.

Around the corner, changes are happening too! A new permanent wall is going up in the Julep Room/Snack Zone, one of those behind-the-scenes improvements that will help the space work even better once we are back to playing.

And speaking of getting ready to play... recognize what's hiding under that wrapping?? 🛒 Our kid-sized grocery carts are getting ready to roll into their future home in Parkside Market!

There are lots of pieces coming together, big and small, and each one gets us a little closer to welcoming you back. ✨ We can't wait to keep showing you what's taking shape!

Thinking about a PlayHouse membership? Today's a great day to make it official! 👀Today is your LAST CHANCE to get 14 mon...
09/30/2026

Thinking about a PlayHouse membership? Today's a great day to make it official! 👀

Today is your LAST CHANCE to get 14 months of PlayHouse membership for the price of 12! 🎉

We're adding extra time to memberships purchased during our temporary closure, so you won't miss out on your full year of PlayHouse fun. And even while our doors are closed, there are still ways to put your membership to use!

More months = More opportunities to play! 🎨🚀✨

👉 Become a member today: https://peoriaplayhouse.org/support/memberships/

We're still playing... just in a few different places! 💛As work continues at the PlayHouse, you can find us out and abou...
09/29/2026

We're still playing... just in a few different places! 💛

As work continues at the PlayHouse, you can find us out and about around Peoria with plenty of ways for kids and families to keep creating, exploring, building and discovering together. 🎨🛠️🌿

This week's lineup includes Open Art Studio at the Library, Nature Niños at Forest Park, Tot Time at Lakeview Recreation Center, and Real Tools and Fall Crafternoons at the Noble Center!

👉 Swipe through to find a program that’s right for your family and see where we’ll be this week.

💻 Register online for select programs at: peoriaplayhouse.org

Our doors will reopen soon, but until then, there are still plenty of ways to PLAY with us! ✨

🎨 A big THANK YOU to the Illinois Arts Council for supporting the power of play, creativity and exploration at the Peori...
09/26/2026

🎨 A big THANK YOU to the Illinois Arts Council for supporting the power of play, creativity and exploration at the Peoria PlayHouse! 💛

Their generous funding helps support our general operations, Open Art Studio and additional programming that gives children opportunities to create, experiment and learn through play. 🖌️✨

We’re grateful for their continued investment in arts and learning in our community!

Things are starting to take shape behind the scenes at the PlayHouse! 🚧🔨Some of the biggest changes start with the thing...
09/25/2026

Things are starting to take shape behind the scenes at the PlayHouse! 🚧🔨

Some of the biggest changes start with the things you might never notice once they are finished, like the new subfloor going in beneath our feet. Every great place to play has to start somewhere!

Elsewhere, things are opening up... literally! A wall has come down in Fossils Rock, creating a new entrance into the future home of Parkside Market and Glen Oak Grill, two brand-new play experiences coming to the PlayHouse! 🛒🍽️

And while construction continues, we're getting some of the little details ready for play 👀
What do you think might be stocking the shelves at Parkside Market? 🥫🫘🍝

There's still plenty of work ahead, but we can't wait to keep sharing peeks at what's happening behind the scenes as we get closer to reopening! 🏗️✨

09/23/2026

YES, we let kids use power tools 🤯🪚

Meet the ✨ChompSaw✨ a real power tool designed specifically for young makers. Instead of a sharp, exposed saw blade, it "chomps" tiny pieces out of cardboard, allowing kids to take control of the tool themselves while little fingers stay safely away from the cutting mechanism.

And that's exactly what Real Tools is about! 🛠️We don't hand kids a set of instructions and tell them what to make. We give them real tools, teach them how to use those tools safely, and let them figure out what comes next.

Your young maker can get their hands on the ChompSaw and plenty more at Real Tools, happening every Friday at the Noble Center while the PlayHouse is closed!

🔨 Every Friday | Starting at 10 AM, last admission at 3:45
🎟️ $5 members | $7 non-members
Adults are free and must accompany children.

What will they make? That's entirely up to them 💛

Address

2218 N Prospect Road
Peoria, IL
61603

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9am - 12pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 4pm
Saturday 9am - 4pm
Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Telephone

(309) 323-6900

Website

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