Discovery Playhouse celebrates 10 years of learning through play

Nestled in the heart of downtown Cape Girardeau is the Discovery Playhouse Children's Museum. This year, the museum celebrates 10 years in operation at 502 Broadway.

The space is for children to have fun, but it's also designed for learning and parent-child interaction. There's a "grocery store," "bank window" and "nursery," reported Southeast Missourian photojournalist Tyler Graef. On the second floor there's a LEGO room, airplane mounted to the ceiling and arts and crafts.

"What we don't want is for it to be an indoor playground," executive director Molly Wilhelm told the newspaper. "We want [children] to be able to learn something; learning through play."

The current board includes: Debbie Simmons (President), Nate Thomas (Vice President), Jackie Wortmann (Secretary), Carly Bowles (Treasurer), Larry Simon, Christy Mershon, Emily Sutton. Donna Thompson, Jordan Carver and Wilhelm.

The museum will host several special events this year to commemorate the 10-year anniversary. An adults-only dinner is scheduled for Feb. 14; Dance through the Decades is set for March 20 at Montgomery Bank Training Center in Jackson; and a spring commemorative ribbon cutting is also in the works. Follow our Page 2 list of events in the Southeast Missourian or visit semoevents.com for more information.

Congratulations to all the Discovery Playhouse staff, board members, donors and volunteers who have made this facility possible. And congratulations on the 10-year anniversary.