Twice a year, we close the doors for a few days, roll up our sleeves, and give the Museum the kind of top-to-bottom care it deserves. If you have ever spotted “Museum Cleaning” on our calendar and wondered what that actually means, this one is for you.

Our next deep clean is scheduled for later this month, during a short closure that also leads into Ignite the Night on October 1. So while the Museum is closed September 28 through October 3, it is quiet for very good reasons!

Why Do We Close to Deep Clean?

At the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota, we exist to ignite the natural curiosity of every child in a dynamic, awe-inspiring environment. That only works if the environment itself is safe, clean, and well cared for.

Thousands of little hands explore our exhibits every month, and that is exactly what we want them to do! But it also means wear and tear comes with the territory. As any parent knows, children can be wonderfully rough on things.

Our team cleans constantly, wiping down exhibits, sanitizing high-touch surfaces, and conducting spot repairs every day. A few times a year, though, we need bigger blocks of uninterrupted time to do the work that simply cannot happen while children are mid-adventure.

What Actually Happens During a Deep Clean?

Short answer: a lot. Here’s what our team tackles while the doors are closed:

• Taking exhibits apart, cleaning every piece, and putting them back together
• Touching up and repainting scuffed walls, rails, and exhibit components
• Inspecting exhibits for wear and replacing components when needed
• Deep cleaning floors, textiles, and loose parts
• Refinishing high-traffic floors
• Catching up on repairs and small improvements we’ve been saving for this exact window

The closure isn’t a pause in our work. It’s some of the most important work we do all year.

It Takes a Village (With Buckets and Ladders)

A deep clean is a team effort in the truest sense. Under the direction of our exhibits and facilities crew, our entire staff, plus a crew of generous and handy volunteers, come together with buckets, ladders, and to-do lists to transform the Museum from top to bottom.

Our team knows every bolt, loose part, and squeaky hinge in the building. They’re the reason a Museum that welcomes tens of thousands of visitors a year still looks and feels fresh every single time you walk in.

What Will Families Notice When We Reopen?

Most of what happens during a deep clean is invisible once we’re finished, and honestly, that’s the point. But a few things will stand out when you visit again:

• Brighter, refreshed exhibit spaces
• Repainted and repaired components that look brand new
• Cleaner textiles, loose parts, and play surfaces
• Small fixes and improvements that make play smoother and safer

Why September?

We schedule one of our deep cleans for September on purpose. It’s our slowest stretch of the year, since things naturally quiet down once school is back in session. Closing during this window has the least impact on the families who want to visit.

We know a closure can be inconvenient, especially if it lands on the day you were hoping to come. Thank you for your patience and for understanding that this short break is what keeps the Museum a place where curiosity gets to grow, safely, all year long.

If you were hoping to come visit during the closure, we would love to see you before or after, and as always members can come any other day the Museum is open. Not a member yet? A membership is also one of the best ways to support the ongoing care and improvement of the Museum!

Want to Get Your Hands Dirty?

If reading this made you think “I’d love to help with something like that,” we’d love to hear from you. Volunteers are a real part of how the Museum stays in such great shape, and we are looking for helping hands for this specific deep clean. You do not need to be especially handy, just willing. If you would like to get involved, sign up to volunteer for the deep clean here, and we will find the right fit for you!

We’ll see you back at the Museum on Saturday, October 3, cleaner, brighter, and ready for the next round of discovery.