The Need

Buildzeum combines design, engineering, math, and strong work ethic to teach kids about the building trades. This hands-on, living museum connects local professionals like architects and contractors with kids, to teach real-world skills in a fun and supportive environment.

A powerful plan. Buildzeum is a museum idea unlike any other on earth, providing real and virtual learning spaces that are flexible to a variety of exhibits and uses. The Hall of Creation will include a three-story-tall building crane that can lift foam blocks across our massive indoor creation site. The Virtual Lounge will enable kids to use our 3d "walking orb" to walk through their virtual creations, bringing their creativity to life. They can also explore ancient cities and play some amazing games! Multipurpose spaces for large lectures, hands-on-learning, portable simulators, and more will be available. And there will be an ever-changing video museum on-site as well...with walls made entirely of high resolution touch-screens. It will project interactive exhibits on such topics as: The History of Architecture, Cranes Through the Ages, Why Did It Fall Down?, Tallest Buildings, and World Skylines.

Hands on. Everything in Buildzeum is hands-on. Every wall, every exhibit. It is not a place for passive learning or fact-absorbing, but for exploration, personal expression, and excitement. We want to make science, math, and design relevant and teach kids the value of hard work. These principles will not only entertain kids, but they will hopefully inspire them—igniting within them a desire to build the next big "something." It is time for our nation to build a commanding lead when it comes to innovation, and while some talk of "STEM" we believe that education only sticks if it is relevant. Real learning begins with kids who are inspired. Through Buildzeum, kids will get their hands dirty in huge sandpiles and they will swipe through walls of exhibits and walk through their own creations. This commitment to hands-on learning is everywhere in Buildzeum. It's different. You'll love it.

We need your help. The vision is bold—encompassing a large facility that includes state-of-the-art exhibit spaces and the capacity to host large events, enabling overall viability. While the primary campaign goal of $6 million will enable the facility to be launched, experience shows that without long-term resources, the facility may not be able to reach the kind of critical mass required to become a regional and even international draw. We feel the ideas Buildzeum is built upon deserve the strongest start possible That is why we have set an $8 million challenge goal to provide enhanced funding for the first year as well as an endowment that will strengthen programming, extend our marketing, and fund ongoing maintenance...so that the gleaming new museum we launch now looks gleaming in five or 10 years, too. Please consider making as large a gift as you feel wise. Also, consider making a planned gift, such as a bequest in your will, gift of appreciated property, or charitable trust. We're in this for the long-haul and while we wish to inspire creative kids, the adults need to be creative in how they give, too. We appreciate all your help.

Through the feasibility process, we learned three things:

1. That Buildzeum is an idea that inspired our community.
2. That our plans could be even better by listening to your input.
3. That our community has sufficient means to make Buildzeum a reality.

Buildzeum is very much a collaborative effort. Our plans have evolved through hundreds of conversations, and the ideas we present now are very much a result of lengthy listening and creative adaptation. We ask you to help fund your ideas now, so that Buildzeum can be a reality. And we pledge to never stop listening, because Buildzeum is designed to be flexible to the inspirations of tomorrow.

Please click on the Pledge Calculator to see how much we need to raise and how your gift can make this vision a reality.

Q&A