And speaking about kids and
children from the Betty
Brynch, Betty Bryn Children's
Museum in Milwaukee, Stacey
Barches here. I stacey. How
are you this morning? Good
morning. I am well. Thank
you all the week. Waky,
Waky this morning. Yeah, I
have three kids. I've been
up for a while. I'm
excited to see you. I'm
excited to see you. I'm
excited to see you. I'm
excited to see you. I'm
excited to see you. I'm
excited to see you. I'm
excited to see you. I've
been up for a while. Then you
know, then you can relate to
what you just heard there.
A comedy bit about kids. OK,
now, for people in
Racine that aren't familiar
with the Betty Brynch
Children's Museum, it's right
there in the lakefront. And
it's how big is it, by the
way? It's a huge building
right across the art museum.
You say, Yeah, we have 20,000
square feet of of fun and
we've been around for a long
time. We've been around. We're
celebrating her 30th anniversary
this year. Now you are
vice president of brand
experience, and we're going to
find out what that isn't just
a moment. But let's get right
back to basics now. Who is
Betty Brynch and why is there
a Children's Museum named
after her? Betty Brynch, she
was a wonderful woman,
living in Milwaukee. She
dedicated most of her life to
securing health care for
under resource women and
children. So we carry on her
legacy by serving as a
gathering place for the
community offering experiences
for children and families of
all cultures, abilities, and
social and economic
background. So we love to
honor her legacy. You know,
when people have museums,
children's museums named after
them, they never liked if I
would say, Well, who was this
Bob who was named after? Well,
he was a con artist. He used
to build people out of millions
of dollars. It's never like
that. It's always some
person that does something
nice. It's never some kind
of con artist. I think
that's for that. Yeah. Okay.
So what is in the museum?
By the way, are they open
all week long? The weekends
too? I mean, how does it
work there? When did you
go see it? Yeah, we're open
Wednesday through Monday,
9 a.m. to 4 30 p.m. So we're
close on Tuesdays. We are
a place that offers hands-on,
tech-free opportunities,
on structured play, screen-free,
yay. We believe play is more
than fun. It's how kids learn
best. I have a trivia question
for you, Don. Oh, no. How much
of the brain develops before age
five? Well, just from
personal experience, very little.
90%. 90% of the brain. Yeah.
So we believe we can play a
big role in that because it's
fundamental to have fun be a part
of that early childhood education
and development for all that brain
development. We believe play is the
vehicle for children to make their
own decisions and develop thinking
skills and activate their imaginations.
Our whole place, our space, is
designed incredibly intentionally
so that that discovery happens
every day. We have a handful of
exhibits, so interactive immersive
experiences throughout our space.
We also have what we call a
be a maker space. So that is an
opportunity for kids to come into
a space and are you familiar with
the term steam? Yes, I am
because we have people from the
public library on all the time.
Yeah. Oh, great. Yeah. So we
feature hands-on maker activities
that are all grounded in that
steam philosophy. So they're
collaborative projects that inspire
creativity and curiosity for
our little ones. Right now we're
doing spider web weaving and
fabric dying and finger puppets.
That's just an example of something
that's happening in October. So
that's more hands-on educator
led activities, but then we have
a handful of exhibits. I'm happy
to talk all about them if you'd
like. Yeah, steam. Now it's a
good thing you didn't tell me. It's
an acronym. What does it mean?
Because when we have people every
month from the Racine Public
Library in here, we're just talking
about the steam and they tell me
the acronym. And I don't know why
I can't remember it, but I'm so
glad you didn't say, so Don, what is
it? Because your brain developed
about a hundred years ago, so you
should be able to know this. Before
we do that, you mentioned some
way. Wasn't there a children's
museum downtown in the downtown
area? Because I used to work at
seven that Wisconsin at one time
and a couple of blocks away. There
was a children's museum there.
Do you remember that? Well, it was
before Betty Brown. Yeah. Yeah,
just us. We were the only one
that we were the first children's
museum in Milwaukee. Yeah, it was
I guess it was part of a museum
and there was a children's area
there. I think it was Milwaukee.
Yeah, I lived in a bunch of
cities and I thought it was.
Anyway, your trivia is
dumping me. So let's talk about
some of the exhibit you have there.
Sir, yeah, we have, I think
probably the fan favorite is our
what we call our home town exhibit.
So this is truly a town that's
a world, you know, built to size.
So it's a little town. We have
our hands on Harley experience,
which is our friends at Harley
Davidson have a shop, if you will,
with motorcycles that you can
actually ride. We have a
Palermo's Pizza Ria with our
friends at Palermo's. They can
put on their chef hat and
truly make a pizza. It's pretty
fun. We have a city bus. We have
a Sunday food market with our
friends at Sundays.
That's probably the
biggest fan favorite because
kids can grow free shop, pretend
that they're actually checking
someone out, which who doesn't
want to do that. We have a
post office, something called
a super service center. So it's
actually mimicking a car shop where
you can be a mechanic.
Waterstone Bank with our friends
at Waterstone. We have a
pet vet. We have a construction
area. That's all our
hometown exhibit.
Then we have an exhibit that's
actually just renovated. It's
for our littlest visitors. So the
zero to four-age group, it's
called Packet Park. So it's a
park-seemed space with lots of
different spaces to move and
scoot. We have scooters, little
bugs, scooters, sensory play
zone. We have a tooth fairy
themed cottage, which kids have
the opportunity to plant flowers
and play with different sensory
tables and a tree house, of
course, because it would not be
complete without a tree house.
Let's see. We have a space called
Let's Play Railway. This is
our most vintage experience. This is a
train engine, lots of levers and
dials and cranks and buttons for
kids to engage with.
Then we have a large collaborative
train table area that's
within that space. We have a
space called Hot Lava. So this is
kind of a play off the TV show
that was all about kids and
adults trying to jump over the
hot lava. So this is an
obstacle course. It's safe, risky
play for our kiddos and
encouraging big gross motor
play. We have a giant
climber in that space and all
of this, you know, encourages
teamwork, which we're all about.
And then we have our Be a
Maker space, which I had talked
about. That is all baked in
or grounded in our STEM
programming. I would like to sneak
in and use this stuff. I'm six
with three. So I think I'd be
standing out. But I would
make in your own pizzas.
I've never worked a cash register
in my life because I've only done
radio my entire life. And before
I die, I want to work a cash
register. I would love to do
this stuff out of the way and come
up with these ideas. Hold on a second
Stacey. We're talking to Stacey
Barch. She is vice president
of brand experience at the Betty
Brynn Children's Museum in Milwaukee.
This is fascinating for people
that don't know. This is right on
the Lakefront Office of the Art
Museum in Milwaukee. And so if
you've never been up there before,
it's a golden opportunity to open
every day except Tuesday. We're
talking to Stacey Barch. She is
vice president of brand experience
at the Betty Brynn Children's
Museum in Milwaukee. This is
fascinating. I didn't know the
exhibits. I didn't know what was
going on in there. This is
fascinating to find out. If
anybody's missed the beginning of
our conversation, you'll be able to
listen to the podcast. It'll be
probably by late tonight or
tomorrow morning at WRJN.com
civic media. US Apple podcast
Spotify wherever you get your
podcast, you'll be able to hear it.
Just search Don Rose and show and
you'll hear it in there. Well
thank you so much for joining us
and join up and help out at the
Betty Brynn Children's Museum,
right? Yeah, and it's so
affordable. Just three visits
pays for itself.
We have membership
opportunity. A various
different membership opportunities
that are offer annual year round
admission. There we have tons of
exclusive member perks.
Yeah, I think it starts
on 45. I mean, that's that's
pretty much a steal for how
expensive things are these days.
That's one that's one trip at
Arby's. Yeah, we can cover that.
Yeah, that includes admission
for an entire year for a family
four. So that pays for itself
in less than three visits.
Okay, and I just want to remind
listeners now that you can
actually hear WRJN in Mill
Milwaukee County. Now we at
107.3 FM. We're expanding our
signal. And so when you had
north of the Racine County line,
along the Lake Shore, because
you guys are right there at the
Lake Shore. You could hear a
local news and timeless hits in
107.3 FM in southern Milwaukee
County, most of Caledonia. That
clean clear FM sound now for all
even north of Racine. 107.3 FM.
We've got some more news coming
up in future weeks about our
community. We've got some
Milwaukee now. And that's just
where the Betty Britain Children's
Museum is. It's right there on the
Lakefront opposite the art museum.
Beautiful buildings there on
Milwaukee's Lakefront. I mean
they're very when you see pictures
of Milwaukee, they always show those
those buildings there and you say
the museum has been there for what
30 years now. 30 years. We have
the best view right out our
window. Wow. That's pretty neat
out there on the lake. Oh yeah.
Absolutely. We can see see all
of it. See, I wouldn't I wouldn't
want people working for me to have
that because they just staring
out the window. Most of it in
like any work done. You should be
like, you know, people here. We
have no windows because we don't
want them looking out at the win.
And if there's construction going
on outside, it's about two hours
if you're time right there looking
out there watching people build
it. Yeah. I think, you know,
Milwaukee's we're we're we're not
doing great in terms of reading
proficiency. Only nine percent
of fourth graders are reading
proficient in Milwaukee.
Nationally it's 32 percent.
So that's a pretty big gap.
We believe that that reflects a
disparity in early learning
opportunities because we think
that that is when kids learn the
most. Again, remember that 90 percent
of the brain develops before age
five. So we strongly believe
that that's why we exist.
We we we think learning
should happen with experience
experiential hands-on experiences.
And that that's why we exist.
You know, this is great.
Promotion you promote growth
of children from birth through age
10. I wish there was something like
this when I was a little kid that we
didn't have that kind of stuff.
And now it's here and you should
bring your kids there.
I like the fact that you're all
this hands-on stuff.
I like that. Yeah. Unstructured play
is great. I mean, how many so many
kids are on their screens now?
Yeah. I think the average is
3.5 hours a day on the screen for
kiddos. That's that's too much.
We that far exceeds any time
of time.
So that's a great way to
open-ended play.
So this is really an
opportunity for everybody to
connect problem solve, build
emotional resilience through
real world experiences.
And 200,000 visitors a year.
Yeah. Yeah. We we've been around
for so long and we still continue
to pull kiddos from
from all over the country.
I think, you know, 90% over 90%
of our visitors are from Wisconsin.
But we do pull from other states
and even other countries which is
really special. Now there's a
website. People want to see more
and learn more about the Betty
Brynn Children's Museum.
It's BBCM Betty Brynn Children's
Museum. Kids.
Isn't that clever?
BBCMkids.org.
BBCMkids.org
And everything's on it.
I went through the website before
and it's really a nice website
put together. So what?
So give us a little lowdown the
admission when you want to bring
kids and give people the money
aspect of this. How much to get
in? Yeah. It depends if it's
weekday or a week and we have
$13 weekday tickets and $14 weekend
tickets. If you're under one,
you're free.
Seamures have a discount. So if
you're over 60, it's $12.
Considerate is Canadians
are there? Yeah. I went to
Arby's the other day. Got two
Meals. It was $27 and I
couldn't believe the price of
everything out there because I
don't usually eat fast food. We were
running late somewhere. So we
went to an Arby's. I said, wow.
$27 for two little meals, one sandwich
is what it is. You're investing
in the future. And some day
when your kids have kids,
they'll be able to take them to
the museum and say, I remember
when I was here doing all this
and that's great stuff. I mean, I'm
so happy that it's there. Yeah,
we believe that play should be
accessible to all. So we try to
keep our prices low so that kids can
experience us. But yeah, we are
going to be able to do that.
But so our admissions do not
cover, you know, our operational
revenue, contributed revenue
and donations are
truly make or break for us. So
it's really critical to have
an institution like ours
in this community and
we're grateful to be here. Okay,
in the last minute, I'm going to give
you a pitch to people like a
commercial to get them to come to
the Betty Brinn's Children's
Children's Children's Children's
Children's Children's Team
to start helping to pick
the machine out of our
grandchildren's pocket.
Like to free commercial for
you. So take advantage of it.
Oh boy. Yeah. Oh boy. Um, I
think you, you know,
if you want to offer your
child something screen free.
We have the opportunity to
learn. You know, we know
kids learn best when, when they
play. Um, but they might not
necessarily know their learning,
which is, you know, a kind of
our secret sauce. I have an
idea for your ad. This is your
ad. Screen free. The Betty
Brynn Children's Museum. And
also your logo can be a
picture of like a tablet
thing with one of those ghost
buster things going through
it. And that you can be
there. And that's your ad.
Betty Brynn Children's Museum.
Screen free. Bring the kids.
I love that ad. I think I'm
going to copyright that ad so
you can't use it without paying
me. All right. That sounds
great. Stacy Stacy Barge vice
president of brand experience
at the Betty Brynn Children's Museum
right there in the lake front in
Milwaukee. Again, you can check
out their website. It's B-B-C-M
dot org.