Demopolis will soon be home to a children's hands-on museum

A new children's museum is coming to Demopolis with a mission of providing hands-on educational experiences for children across Alabama's Black Belt.

The Demopolis DREAM Center, a newly formed nonprofit, is planning to create an interactive educational destination featuring exhibits and museum inventory donated by the Children's Hands-On Museum (CHOM) in Tuscaloosa as that organization expands into a new location.

The DREAM Center will be fundraising toward renovating a facility, installing the exhibit and establishing new educational experiences as well as accessibility improvements and long-term operations, the center said in a statement. 

DREAM stands for Discovery, Research, Education, Art and Museum, reflecting the center's focus on hands-on learning through STEM education, art, creativity and imaginative play, the center said.

Organizers say the museum will serve children and families throughout Demopolis, Marengo County and the surrounding Black Belt, where access to children's museums often requires significant travel.

"As a family physician, I see children every day and know how much their environment shapes their growth and curiosity," said Dr. Brittney Anderson, one of the project's leaders. "The Demopolis DREAM Center will give our kids a place to explore, learn and dream right here at home."

The project is being led by Anderson, local business owner Suzanne Young and retired educator Carolyn Moore. Young is a local business owner who has been actively involved in community and civic initiatives throughout Demopolis. Moore is a retired educator and former member of the Demopolis City Schools Board of Education. The trio is currently focused on fundraising, grant development and preparing a permanent facility for the museum.

Carolyn Moore said she hopes the community will embrace the project and become part of bringing the vision to life.

“I am very excited to be a part of the DREAM team and to help the Demopolis DREAM Center come to life,” Mooresaid. “I believe in our children and what they can become. Why watch the DREAM when we can all be a part of it? Please join us!”

Suzanne Young said one of her greatest hopes is that the DREAM Center helps children discover interests and abilities they may not yet know they have.

“A child may walk through our doors and discover an interest or talent they never knew they had,” Young said. “That one experience could spark a passion, give them direction, and even shape the goals they set for their future. If theDREAM Center can help children discover what excites them, believe in what they are capable of, and see possibilitiesfor their lives they may not have seen before, then we will have accomplished something truly meaningful.”

Organizers plan to announce additional details about fundraising opportunities, exhibits and the museum's opening timeline as the project moves forward.

For more information, visit demopolisdreamcenter.org.