Case Study

The Aim: Engage community voices in a structured, inclusive strategic way to shape the future museum’s design, programming, and stakeholder relationships — making sure the planned museum would reflect diverse local needs, identities, and aspirations from the start.

The Outcome: Katrina and her team helped the board of directors shape their vision for the museum with the help of a diverse mix of community stakeholders. After six years of planning and $17 million in mixed funding, the 31,000 square-foot facility opened in June 2025 and features eight core exhibits, a rotating exhibit, a rooftop deck and a teaching kitchen. As the second larger children’s museum in Minnesota (after St. Paul’s), it is poised to attract 130,000 visitors annually as an educational and economic anchor of downtown St. Cloud, Minn.

“It's truly an explosion of color in the best way possible.  We have lights that can change color in our atrium space with our three story exhibit Climber to the Clouds. It's really the pièce de résistance when you drive downtown, and you see that lit up at night, it's just gorgeous.”

“Cassie Miles, Executive Director