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Ringing in the New Year Across the Time Zones Draws Huge Crowds

The Mercury News
January 1, 2018

New Year's Eve may be for adults, but not at the purple museum. Created in 2006 so families could ring in the new year together, the Noon Year's Eve event highlights the diverse community the museum serves with three LED-lit ball drops coinciding with time zones around the world. Fashioned after the famous New York City Times Square Ball Drop, the celebration provides a joyful occasion for all ages. Learn More

Creativity through the Arts, General Museum, Inclusion & Cultural Competence

Museum Makes Great Vacation Destination

VacationIdea Dream Vacation Magazine
December 11, 2017

The museum has long been a local favorite for Bay Area families. It's also a popular destination for families in search of enriching ways to spend time together beyond amusement park-like attractions when on vacation. Learn More

General Museum

Immersive Mural Boldly Transforms Museum Entryway

El Observador
December 8, 2017

The museum's massive stucco-covered entry has been transformed into a pallet of brightly colored imagery and bold symbols inspired from community input. Acclaimed multi-media artist Jaque Fragua of Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico, and local curator Juan Carlos Araujo of Empire 7 Studios created the iconographic motifs based on design ideas submitted by 50 Rocketship Alma Academy 2nd – 5th-grade students, EY corporate volunteers, and museum staff. The project supports the museum’s strategic commitment, Creativity through the Arts, and is part of Community Pathways, the museum’s pilot program funded by San Jose’s Office of Cultural Affairs to activate the spaces outside the museum. Learn More

Creativity through the Arts, Early Childhood Development, Inclusion & Cultural Competence, Partnerships & Resource Development

Mural-cle of a Makeover

The Mercury News
November 30, 2017

Big, bold, and bright. That's the best way to describe the museum's new mural. Using only the simplest of materials - paint, brushes, and rollers, the mural artists Jaque Fragua and curator Juan Carlos Araujo have transformed the museum's plain, stucco entryway into a stunningly beautiful and welcoming space celebrating creativity and community-building. Learn More

Community Service Learning, Creativity through the Arts, General Museum, Inclusion & Cultural Competence, Partnerships & Resource Development

There’s a New Backyard at the Museum

Bay Area News Group
October 27, 2017

When Bill Sullivan stepped down 10 years ago as CEO of Agilent Technologies, he got an unusual retirement gift from his company: a rendering of an outdoor exhibit space and play area that would be built at Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose and bear his name. “It was a heck of a lot better than receiving a gold watch,” Sullivan told the crowd gathered for the dedication of Bill’s Backyard on Thursday, Oct. 19, at the downtown museum. Learn More

Early Childhood Development, Environmental Stewardship, Exhibition Development, General Museum, Partnerships & Resource Development, Science Learning

Nature NOW! Bill’s Backyard Opens Oct. 29

Red Tricycle
October 22, 2017

Go outside and play. This sentiment is often at odds with the valley's tech-heavy culture, especially in the Bay Area. To encourage kids to put down their devices and engage with the outdoors, Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose recently doubled its exhibit space to add a new outdoor exhibit, Bill’s Backyard: Bridge to Nature, and it’s the tree house and dig pit of childhood dreams. Every detail was meticulously planned from the living roof on the junior ranger station to the life-sized bronze animals hidden throughout the exhibit. Learn More

Early Childhood Development, Environmental Stewardship, Exhibition Development, General Museum, Partnerships & Resource Development, Science Learning

Seventy-five Charming Third Graders Help Dedicate Bill’s Backyard

The Mercury News
October 20, 2017

The same kids who tossed seeds into a patch of dirt last November burst through a commemorative ribbon and helped dedicate the museum's new outdoor space, Bill's Backyard: Bridge to Nature, on Thursday. Mayor Sam Liccardo, Santa Clara County Supervisor Ken Yeager, and representatives from the visionary donors including Open Space Authority Santa Clara County, the California Coastal Conservancy, FIRST 5 Santa Clara County, and Agilent Technologies were among many who were on-hand to mark the occasion and speak about the importance of this new outdoor learning environment to children and the entire region. Learn More

Early Childhood Development, Environmental Stewardship, Exhibition Development, General Museum, Partnerships & Resource Development, Science Learning

Low Tech High Thrills at the Purple Museum

South Bay Accent
October 15, 2017

Executive Director Marilee Jennings talks with South Bay Accent about everything from the early days of the museum to the latest and largest capital project since opening in 1990 - Bill's Backyard. San Jose's newest outdoor learning environment is primed for hours of exploration, discovery, and creativity for all ages, especially inquisitive youngsters. Learn More

Early Childhood Development, Environmental Stewardship, Exhibition Development, General Museum, Partnerships & Resource Development, Science Learning

Executive Director Marilee Jennings Talks with Bay Area Focus

KBCW Bay Area Focus
October 8, 2017

Marilee Jennings joined Michelle Griego, host of KBCW's "Bay Area Focus," to talk about Bill's Backyard and why the museum is venturing outdoors with a half-acre outdoor learning environment focused on environmental and science learning - and, of course, lots of discovery and exploration for children and families. Learn More

Early Childhood Development, Environmental Stewardship, Exhibition Development, General Museum, Science Learning

Educating and Entertaining for 25 Years

The Mercury News
July 8, 2015

The purple museum takes a look back at how it all began 25 years ago with two passionate moms and one big idea. Learn More

General Museum

Looking Forward with a Nod to the Past 25 Years

The Mercury News
June 20, 2015

The museum's goal 25 years ago of acquainting kids to the world around them hasn't wavered. This guiding principle has helped the venerable institution remain vital to all children and families in the community. The playful purple museum celebrates 25 years with an eye toward the future that includes an outdoor expansion. Learn More

General Museum

It’s a Purple Birthday Bash Celebration

Metro News
June 3, 2015

The playful purple museum celebrated its 25th birthday in style with free admission, a giant birthday cake (non-edible) for visitors to decorate, and performances by Grammy-award winning PapaHugs. Learn More

General Museum