A. C. Gilbert's Discovery Village

	Andrew T. Gilbert House
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	116 Marion St., NE, Salem, Oregon
Coordinates	44°56′42″N 123°2′28″W / 44.94500°N 123.04111°W
Area	0.2 acres (0.081 ha)
Built	1887
Architect	Charles A. Robert
Architectural style	Queen Anne
NRHP reference No.	80003350
Added to NRHP	November 06, 1980

The Gilbert House Children's Museum is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) children's museum within Riverfront Park located in Salem, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1989.

The museum has 16 hands-on S.T.E.A.M. exhibits, a 20,000 ft² Outdoor Discovery Area, field trips, STEM Workshops, membership opportunities, summer camps, and educational programs in the sciences, arts, and humanities.

This hands-on museum was named in honor of American inventor Alfred Carlton Gilbert and displays several of his inventions, most notably the Erector Set. In fact, the Museum is home to the world's largest Erector Set tower at 52 feet.^[2]^[3] Originally home to the National Toy Hall of Fame, the museum sold the Hall of Fame to the Strong - National Museum of Play in 2002.^[4]

Besides its interactive exhibits, Gilbert House Children's Museum also provides summer camps, birthday party packages, and outreach programs.

The museum is housed in several historic Victorian buildings, including the Andrew T. Gilbert House, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), and a 1998 replica of the Wilson-Durbin House, which was also NRHP-listed until it was destroyed by fire in 1990.^[5]

Exhibits

Outdoor Discovery Area, including the Erector Set Tower – A 52 feet high erector set tower; the largest in the world. There are also 3 giant slides and a maze.
Farm to Table
All About Me
The Creative Space
Gilbert Engineering Studio
Fortopia
Tinker Tracks
Vet Clinic
Grandma's Clubhouse
Lights! Camera! Action!
Up, Up and Away
Salem Station
Forest Friends Toddler Room
Main Street
Recollections
Eye Euphoria
A.C. Gilbert's Legacy of Play
Bill's Bubble Factory
Natures Workshop

^[6]

References

^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
^ Answers.com - Erector Sets
^ A.C.'s Backyard Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
^ Kids apply themselves at Museum of Play. Archived October 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine CNN, accessed October 10, 2007.
^ Gilbert House Children's Museum: About Us Archived 2009-05-29 at the Wayback Machine
^ "A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village – Exhibits". Archived from the original on March 16, 2014. Retrieved March 16, 2014.

External links

Gilbert House Children's Museum homepage
Historic photos of the Gilbert House from the University of Oregon digital archives

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[nris-1] "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.

[2] Answers.com - Erector Sets

[3] A.C.'s Backyard Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine

[4] Kids apply themselves at Museum of Play. Archived October 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine CNN, accessed October 10, 2007.

[5] Gilbert House Children's Museum: About Us Archived 2009-05-29 at the Wayback Machine

[6] "A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village – Exhibits". Archived from the original on March 16, 2014. Retrieved March 16, 2014.

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