ENDED EARLY – Once Upon a Playground, Featured Traveling Exhibit, February 1 – April 4 (EXTENDED)

DUE TO THE MUSEUM CLOSURE IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19, ONCE UPON A PLAYGROUND HAS ENDED EARLY, EFFECTIVE MARCH 17. 

Once Upon a Playground, organized by ExhibitsUSA, is a traveling exhibit and program from Mid-America Arts Alliance. It offers a visual tribute to the vanishing playgrounds of our past, celebrating their place in American culture and the collective memories of generations.

Co-curated by Brenda Biondo, author of Once Upon a Playground: A Celebration of Classic American Playgrounds, 1920–1975 (University Press of New England, 2014), and Carol Johnson, recently retired curator of photography at the Library of Congress, the exhibition combines contemporary photographs of classic equipment, vintage images of playground scenes from the Library of Congress’ collections, and images from period playground catalogs and other ephemera. By bringing together these diverse sources, the exhibition highlights a playground vernacular that developed over decades, while providing historical context and cultural insight. The exhibit will also include snapshots of some of Sheboygan County’s most beloved play areas, along with several opportunities to interact with fond playground memories.

A Program of ExhibitsUSA, a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance and The National Endowment for the Arts.

Regular Museum Admission:
$8 Adults
$7 Seniors 62 & up
$5 Ages 6 – 17
Free Ages 5 & under
Free Museum Members

Museum Hours beginning February 1:
Monday – Friday, 10am – 5pm
Saturday, 10am – 3pm