The (New and Improved) Chrysler Museum

Thanks to the giant duck, you probably know by now that the Chrysler Museum has reopened. We were really missing it in the year and a half that it was closed -- it's such a great free place to go with kids and their programs are really top notch. A few weeks ago, our playgroup met up to revisit this old favorite and see the changes that were made. The Chrysler has such a nicely curated collection of things to see, it's really a treasure box of a place.

The main thing that impressed us was that the museum is a lot more interactive for kids and adults alike, now. There are plenty of places to sit and reflect and some special ways to share your thoughts and some of your own art, if you are so inclined. We also liked the community gallery, which allowed locals to vote on and assemble their favorite pieces of art all in one place. The kids were extremely taken in by some of the exhibits, namely the modern art wing and the exhibit on mummies including, strangely, the kind of gross video that plays on a loop there. Sadly, they didn't seem to want to spend much time in the photography exhibit, which I was looking forward to, so we'll have to plan an adults-only visit soon. We all loved the new courtyard, with the fountains and trees and gravel paths, it was a great place to hang out for a while and run off some steam (depending which age group you belong to).




There were a few kinks -- some of the display cases in the artifact rooms are too far above the kids' heads which meant there was a lot of hefting them up to see, over and over again, and the children's art room (drawing supplies, giant beanbags!) is situated in probably the most echo-y spot in the whole place which was awkward at times. But overall we are really loving the new and improved Chrysler and looking forward to our next trip.

Have you been inside the Chrysler since it reopened?