New Exhibits Open at the Children’s Museum of Southeastern Connecticut


NIANTIC, CT – The Children’s Museum of Southeastern Connecticut (CMSECT), 409 Main St., invites children and their families to check out several recently installed exhibits.

 The “Music for All Children” exhibit allows visitors to create musical compositions through movement. It features Soundbeam, a sophisticated electronic system that projects ultrasonic beams into the exhibit space. When movement interrupts the beams, Soundbeam produces a tone. The tone is determined according to how close the user is to the sensor and the speed of the movement. Music for All Children was made possible through a generous grant from the Ronald McDonald House Charities, and installation was possible through the efforts of AIC New London and Norwich and Niantic Annex at York.

Soundbeam is just one component of the Museum’s efforts to serve all children and families. Several new items have been installed in Kelsey’s Vision, a sensory exhibit donated by the Kelsey S. Harrington Foundation: the Chilean rainstick, made from the skeleton of a cactus and filled with small stone to simulate the sound of rain; the Freenote Wing, similar to a small xylophone but it plays a 5-tone pentatonic scale using a single note, G major; and a new children’s drum that is vibroacoustics, meaning if a visitor is unable to hear the drumbeat, he/she can feel the beat as a physical force.

Outside, Museum staff is installing a zipline for children, which will be operational soon. The outdoor play spaces will be open throughout the winter, weather permitting.

For information, call the museum at (860) 691-1111.

The mission of the Children’s Museum of Southeastern Connecticut is to encourage learning and spark imagination by engaging children and all families through creative and hands-on play in a safe and accessible community environment.