by Tiffany Robbins, Outreach Manager

On Saturday April 26^th, community members joined the museum to celebrate its 50^th birthday. Though the day was chilly, visitors steadily flowed through the museum to partake in a myriad of activities. From button making and coloring to facepainting and reminiscing, visitors were able to show their love for the museum. Historical architecture tours were led by Will Haynes, deputy director for engagement and learning, and Steve Nowak, executive director, while story time at the Victorian playhouse was led by Shannon Hodges, education coordinator. Visitors were also offered the opportunity to contribute to the museum’s time capsule. They were asked to share some insights about the world today as well as fond memories of the museum for future generations to read.

Of course, the star attraction of the birthday party was the cake shaped like the building. Provided by OhMyGoodies by Sara Jean out of Topeka, the Funfetti creation wowed visitors. The cake, fondant, and buttercream creation was the highlight of the day and everything Steve had dreamed of.

Looking back on the birthday, I would call it a huge success. People were enthusiastic to celebrate the museum and many had never even been inside before. The birthday party really got people thinking about the fact that the museum has been in Lawrence for 50 years and has no plans of leaving. With a staff of about 10 and even more volunteers, the museum plans to only get bigger and better each day. Through changing exhibits and engaging events, we hope to always draw people back as well as welcome new faces. Following the birthday party, I asked staff to share their thoughts on the event and reflect on how it went:

Andrew Stockmann, Curator of Exhibitions: “Seeing community members and partners come to the museum in celebration of our 50 years was incredibly special! The building-shaped cake surpassed the hype and tasted great too.”

Shannon Hodges, Education Coordinator: “From a youth education perspective, I felt that the event brought out a more diverse group of families than we typically have in our regular programming.… I had a few people comment that they had not been in the museum in a long time, and they were pleased to see how much our children’s area had grown and improved.  It was fun for me to see these kids and families enjoying our hands-on area and offerings for kids for the first time during this celebratory occasion.”

Will Haynes, Deputy Director for Engagement and Learning: “The Watkins at 50 provided an opportunity to celebrate our successes and also do what we like best: welcome both new and familiar faces into the museum. In addition to seeing all the families having fun with our activities, it was rewarding to see the great level of support we have in the community as people packed the Community Room for our birthday cake cutting.”

*Interested in contributing to the time capsule? Written memories can be dropped off at the museum or emailed to Tiffany at [email protected].