Last updated: 1/5/2011
Laredo, Texas
Street Address
5300 San Dario
Laredo, TX 78041
Mailing Address
5300 San Dario, Suite 505
Laredo, TX 78041
phone: 956-728-0404
fax: 956-725-7776
web: www.imaginariumstx.org

Hours

Summer Hours
Monday - Thursday
2 PM - 7 PM
Friday - Saturday
10 AM - 8 PM
Sunday
12 PM - 6 PM
Fall/Spring Hours
Monday - Tuesday
closed
Wednesday - Thursday
10 AM - 7 PM
Friday - Saturday
10 AM - 8 PM
Sunday
12 PM - 6 PM

Admissions

$4 per child
$3 per adult

Museum Type(s)

Staff

Melissa Cigarroa
phone: 956-728-0404
Lisa Chappa
phone: 956-728-0404
Carmen Benavides
phone: 956-728-0404
e-mail:
Cheryl Potemkin
phone: 956-728-0404
Description

In 2007, The Laredo Children’s Museum adopted a new name to better describe our goals in the community and became the Imaginarium of South Texas. Along with the name change, the museum found a new home in the Mall del Norte. We are currently developing additional programming, all of it research-based and learner centered, with Texas A&M International, the Texas Migrant Council, the Laredo Center for the Arts, the Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Quad-City Community Center in Mirando City.

The Imaginarium of South Texas is a current partner in TexNET, the Texas Network of Exhibit-based learning and Teaching is funded by the National Science Foundation and designed to create a network that will build leadership capacity in all partners through exhibit and staff resource exchange. We are partnered with the San Francisco Exploratorium, the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, Tyler’s Discovery Science Place and Lubbock’s Science Spectrum.

This unique collaborative provides state-of-the-art learning experiences to the rural and Hispanic audience by providing interactive science exhibits and training in inquiry learning methods with the goal of stronger learning opportunities within the communities served by the smaller museums. The exhibits we have hosted as a result of this partnership began in October 2005 and included the exhibit sets “Sound Around”, “Wild Weather”, and “Move It!”. Each set is fabricated and developed by the Exploratorium. Only through a partnership such as this one are we in Laredo able to experience this fabulous exploration of scientific phenomena. Click Here to learn more out TexNET, and our partner museums.

Mission

The Imaginarium of South Texas is a facility which provides bi-cultural exhibits in a creative learning environment to the children and families of the region. Serving as a resource for families, educators and community volunteers, the museum and its outreach programs provide hands-on experiences that enrich the lives of its patrons.

History

The idea for a Children's Museum in Laredo began in the 1980s when the late Cecilia Martinez Claflin, as a curator for the Nuevo Santander Museum, saw the need for a place where children learn with hands-on experiences versus the traditional exhibits-behind-glass model. She researched the concept and soon invited a group of educators and concerned citizens to establish goals that would determine the direction and feasibility of such a museum. The museum incorporated on November 26, 1990 and applied for and received a 501©(3) non-profit educational institution status. The Laredo Children's Museum officially opened its doors on September 11, 1991. Since then, the Museum has provided families of Webb County, South Texas, and Northern Mexico a bi-cultural and creative learning experience through hands-on exhibits and outreach programming. Children’s museums are a growth phenomenon today with over 220 nation-wide and between 80 – 100 capital projects planned. Children’s museums are uniquely dedicated to providing a safe place for inquiry- based learning that explores the natural environment and encourages the creativity and individual expression that is necessary for personal growth and self-esteem. The informal learning environments they provide are increasingly being recognized for their important contribution to the overall education of our children and of their communities as a whole. A children’s museum is a unique resource which engenders a learning culture for the entire community.

Educational Programs

The Imaginarium of South Texas provides a variety of programming for the community. Visit us on weekday afternoons for activites, we host workshops on the weekends, as well as seasonal camps. Tours for school and scout groups are available, please contact us for details.

Governance

Board of Directors

Library
Access: Staff Only
Appointment required: No
Publications

Quarterly Newsletter
Shifting Gears

Services
Gift Shop
Special Event Rental
ADA
Wheelchair Accessible
Exhibitions
Museum Events
DISCLAIMER
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MUSEUM CONFERENCES

Georgia Association of Museums 2025 Conference

February 5 - 7, 2025

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2025 California Association of Museums Conference

February 18 - 22, 2025

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Virginia Association of Museum's 2025 Annual Conference!

March 15 - 18, 2025

Blacksburg, Virginia

Texas Association of Museums 2025 Conference Austin

April 6 - 9, 2025

Austin, Texas

Oregon Museum Association 2025 Conference

April 27 - 29, 2025

Independence, Oregon

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