In June 2019, the brand new Explore & More - The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Children’s Museum opened its doors to the Western New York Community. This $29 million capital project was a 7-year undertaking, which allowed Explore & More to grow from a 5,000 square-foot building located in East Aurora with about 60,000 visitors a year to a 43,000 square-foot state-of-the-art facility in downtown Buffalo with an estimate of 200,000+ guests per year. Our all-new, world-class children’s museum is gaining national and international attention as a game-changer for our region in terms of economic and early childhood development. E&M is the only hands-on, interactive children’s museum in the eight Western New York counties. Beyond that, the closest children’s museum comparable to ours is in Cleveland, Ohio. While the Strong Museum is similar, it is registered as an American history museum, and more than half of the collections are untouchable. E&M offers activities that reach diverse audiences including: • Year-round creative learning experiences for families at the Museum. • Outreach to bring free informal learning opportunities to children in underserved locations. • Transportation Fund to bus Title 1 schools from Erie and Niagara county to the Museum for free. • Monthly free programming for children and their families with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other processing disorders. • Cultural programs that foster connections to diverse populations. • Updating and changing exhibits and programming to meet community need. We believe every child deserves the opportunity to explore activities that inspire creativity, curiosity and imagination. It is our goal to be a leader in providing engaging experiences that spark learning and growth through play. Mission Statement: The Explore & More Mission - To provide the best-in-class play experiences where all children, families and the community can explore, learn and develop together.