VIPs cut the ribbon during the grand opening of the Children’s Museum of Alamance County in Graham Saturday.
Seven years ago it sounded like an impossible dream. Really, what were the odds in 2005 that a $4 million museum devoted solely to the education and entertainment of Alamance County children could actually become a reality?
Long indeed, it would seem. Factor in an economy that collapsed two years later and the climb to what happened on Saturday might resemble scaling Mount Everest.
What happened on Saturday, of course, was the opening of that very facility — the Children’s Museum of Alamance County, which came to fruition through the determined efforts of a dedicated group of people headed by Phoebe and Pat Harman and the Hayden-Harman Foundation. The grand opening of the 14,000-square-foot museum located near the Alamance County Arts Council at 217 St. Main St., Graham, followed months and years of meetings, planning and fund-raising.
All involved deserve applause today. The results are nothing short of spectacular. From the outdoor My Own Back Yard playground, featuring a replica of the Haw River to the 25-foot-tall Lucky Climber that at its zenith offers a scenic view of Graham’s historic downtown, the exhibits were met with gasps and laughter by the hundreds of children who visited on the first day.
And they really are the best critics in this case.
More than 1,000 people visited during the first two hours of the museum’s opening, which has to be gratifying for organizers, especially Phoebe Harman, who was recognized for her efforts during a brief ceremony.
“She went to every book club meeting, every garden club meeting, everywhere anyone might listen,” said Cary Worthy, director of the neighboring Alamance County Arts Council.
It seems appropriate that a whispering bench was donated to the museum in Phoebe Harman’s honor. It features a winding tube in which a person on one end can send a message to a person seated at the other. Spreading the word is how the vision for a children’s museum for our community transitioned from pie-in-the-sky idea to beautiful reality. Indeed, Worthy accurately called her the “Johnny Appleseed of the children’s museum.”
Today, the museum stands as a drawing card not just for Alamance County children and their families, but for those in surrounding communities who don’t have such a facility. The new site is a win for our community and for Graham, which stands to gain from some additional tourism.
And it’s a daily reminder of what a small group of people can accomplish with a dream and a will to do something about it.
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