GALLERY: The Bayou Country Children’s Museum is back!

Dozens of families attended the Bayou Country Children’s Museum Grand Re-Opening yesterday, October 1, 2022. The museum closed its doors in August 2021 in preparation for Hurricane Ida. Rebekah Quinn, Interim Executive Director of the museum said the damages were so severe, the entire facility had to be renovated. “During Ida our air conditioners fell over on the flat part of our roof and left holes in the ceilings of the party rooms. We had a lot of water and mold. We had to have an entire reconstruction of the floors, walls, and roof, and that took some time. Pretty much everything is new,” said Quinn.

Supporters gathered at the entrance of the museum at 10 a.m. for a ceremonial ribbon cutting, welcoming guests to a day of family fun for the first time in over a year. The new facility offers fun for the entire family, including three new features sponsored by local partners. “Greg Stock over at Thibodaux Regional sponsored an eye wall, which is a movement censored exercise, basically you walk up to it and you can run and jump through courses. It’s a visually stimulated activity that both kids and parents can participate in. Thibodaux Regional also sponsored a ninja warrior course and that’s going to engage the 12 year olds and older age group. We’ll have that in the coming months. In addition to that, we have a brand new electric car exhibit that the Barker Family Auto Group sponsored,” Quinn shared.

The celebratory event took place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring 23 craft and exhibit vendors, three food trucks, snowballs, popcorn, balloon art, face painting, and live music by the Cajun Music Preservation Society. Yesterday’s celebration was just the beginning, the museum has a lineup of events planned for the fall, including Geared Up: Touch a Truck event. The event will be held on November 19, and is a partnership between BCCM, Fletcher Technical Community College, and the Louisiana Region 3 STEM Program. “We’re going to offer quite a few stem activities for kids, it’ll be a great educational time and hands-on learning experience for kids,” said Quinn.

Susan Durcochar, a resident of the Bayou Lafourche community attended the grand re-opening celebration with her four grandchildren, expressing excitement for the return of an environment for children to visit and interact with their peers. “I’m here with my grandchildren and they are so excited,” said Durcochar. “They got a card at school that let us know they were opening, that’s how we found out. It’s important to have the museum back because it gives kids a place to go instead of sitting inside, playing video games and not interacting with other children,” Durcocher added.

The Bayou Country Children’s Museum is a hands-on Cajun themed children’s museum, geared towards children, their families, and educators. The museum welcomes families from Lafourche, Terrebonne, Assumption, Ascension, St. Mary, St. Charles, St. James, and St. John Parishes. Quinn expressed gratitude to members of the community and the museum’s board of directors for their support throughout the recovery process.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing the kids in the museum and offering something to the community that benefits the whole family. It’s been a long time coming, and it’s been a long road. We’re really excited to have such a unique museum in our community. I’m looking forward to seeing the smiles and the fun that kids will be able to have,’ said Quinn. “I’m just so grateful for all of the community support, nothing but a bright future for the kids of the Bayou Region. I think that’s the heart and soul of what we want as people and as a healthy community.”