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Because the Edwardsville community has embraced the Museum long before we ever opened, we want to return the hug by giving back to the city that has done so much for us and expanding our love of learning to generations of local residents.
In addition to collaborating with local organizations and nonprofits on family events and providing educational outreach to schools across the St. Louis Metro East, Edwardsville Children’s Museum has helped lead two community projects that honor the history of our hometown while preserving its natural ecosystem for years to come.
For more information on partnering with ECM on future projects, contact executive director Kristen Fries at [email protected].
This educational and environmental initiative driven by ECM and sponsored by Phillips 66 transformed an empty brownfield site into a two-acre urban forest preserve, or Miyawaki forest, that will help improve air quality, increase the region’s biodiversity, and lower ozone levels.
Together with the City of Edwardsville and the Edwardsville Community Foundation, ECM helped restore and renovate the 135-year-old Nickel Plate Railroad Station, one of the few remaining structures of its kind in the U.S. Now located on the ECM campus, Nickel Plate is home to our travel-themed exhibits and hosts programming year-round.
Since 2018, ECM has provided children an outdoor playground, the city a sustainable greenspace, and pollinators a variety of gardens to find food, water, and shelter. Together with our neighbors and fellow nonprofits, we’re proud to be part of Illinois’ first official Pollinator Pathway city, helping to preserve the ecological health of Edwardsville for years to come.