April 28, 2026
Provided Image/Please Touch Museum
A rendering of a new exhibit the Please Touch Museum is expected to debut in the fall. The project was funded through a $2.5 million grant from the Fostering Character Through Children’s Museums program with Lilly Endowment.
The Please Touch Museum will debut a new permanent exhibit this fall in honor of its 50th anniversary. The centerpiece of the display will be a 20-foot-tall climbing structure with rope swings, slides, climbing nets and viewing platforms that overlook West Fairmount Park.
The project was paid for using a $2.5 million grant from the Fostering Character Through Children’s Museums program with Lilly Endowment. The initiative subsidizes installations that encourage kids to develop positive character traits such as empathy, kindness and respect.
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“A grant like this is truly transformative for the museum,” Melissa Weiler Gerber, president and CEO of the Please Touch Museum, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to introduce this new exhibit as a lasting legacy of our 50th birthday year — one that we hope will give children and caregivers alike tools and experiences to understand their emotions, learn more about themselves and connect with others.”
The new exhibit, titled “Character Quest: Building Character Skills Through Play,” will be located in the southwest corner of Memorial Hall and focus on strengthening the social and emotional intelligence of children through play. Character Quest will also include interactive displays that encourage children to collaborate with others and explore elements of growth mindset and perseverance.
Olivia Thomas, chief learning officer with the museum, said the skills the exhibit aims to teach are "critical" to help children understanding themselves.
"Through graphic displays, children and caregivers will be asked to identify and name the emotions that individual characters are feeling and expressing," she said in a statement. "Additionally, mirrors and written prompts will encourage children to practice expressing their own different emotions."
A 20-foot tall climbing gym, rendered here, will be the central fixture of a new exhibit at the Please Touch Museum opening this fall.
Programming will also be geared toward caregivers, providing tips and tools for ways that adults can discuss "big feelings" with the children and how to manage those emotions and reactions.
"Character skills are critical for how children understand themselves, other people, and how they navigate the world around them," Thomas said. "This exhibit pairs important whole-body movement and play with key character skills that, when practiced over time, will help children apply those skills during difficult situations and equip them with important tools to help navigate the world around them."
