Whatcom Museum – Lightcatcher Building

Sorry, but the paltry amount of exhibits are not worth the admission price. They need to add more content, or lower the entrance fee.

Just visited the children’s museum for the first time today. It was AWESOME. I don’t know what’s up with the other bad review, other than it’s tough when you get used to something and then it changes. It’s beautiful and so much fun for the little ones. I highly recommend.

It’s hard to believe that I wandered through this beautiful, huge, brand new building and found myself longing for the tiny old Whatcom Children’s Museum with its rickety displays and crowded seating area. But I would take that one back in a heartbeat compared to this staid, cold, ironically untouchable museum that the city (while attempting to attract funding for it) once told us was essential to our quality of life.
I arrived at the Lightcatcher Building just after school let out, with my 6-​year-​old daughter and her 2 little friends in tow. $ 30.50 in admission fees later, we were inside. While paying I commented that I thought the price was quite high compared to the $ 3.50 fee at the old museum, and the woman at the front desk — after briefly attempting to defend the 350% price increase — finally capitulated and admitted that the pricing was too high, excluded lower-​income families, and that she «hoped» the price would eventually go down.
We then headed over to the family area which was basically a large, cold mausoleum filled with various, questionably kid friendly exhibits. In the center of the room was an enclosed area for toddlers, and this was surrounded by several displays which appear to have been dreamed up (and possibly even constructed by) people with either (a) no imagination or (b) absolutely NO budget. I found myself wondering where the city’s original $ 8 million price tag for the building had gone — certainly not to the displays! Particularly lame were the «reading corner» (um, don’t they have one of those at the library — do I really need to pay thirty bucks to read to my kids?), and a stop-​motion photography exhibit that was almost over *my* head. Try explaining stop-​motion photography to a 5-​year-​old. Just try. I dare you. Now have them produce a movie in 10 frames or less. Oh ya, that was *really* fun.
There were also a couple of tables with plastic construction toys, a campsite, and some other displays which held my kids’ attention for approximately 5 seconds each. Gone, it appears, are the themed displays so fun at the old museum.
After exhausting the displays, we headed to the art room for an exercise in pointillism. Again, I question the age-​appropriateness of this exercise. Parents are asked to follow 3 long pages of «guidelines» to teach their children about this classic art form. Then the kids are to produce a piece of their own. I tried my best to teach the lesson, wondering why the museum employee who sat in the room behind a NASA-​like computer display completely ignored us and instead gossiped on the phone with a friend. Another employee tried her best to help, but even she seemed confused by how to explain children’s exhibits and art to, well, actual children.
Having exhausted our time in the family area, we proceeded down to the «art» area. I had assumed that this would be an interactive, KID-​friendly area where the girls could get their feet wet, so to speak, on the slippery slopes of art appreciation. What we were faced with were rooms full of «do not touch» signs and tempting sculptures and multimedia displays that just begged to be handled (if it weren’t for the glaring signage warning against such behavior). Don’t get me wrong, I understand that there are certain museum situations in life which are not kid-​friendly. What I don’t understand is why such hands-​off displays would be put into a CHILDREN’S museum! A few of the displays also bordered on scary to the girls. One featured a video of a woman with her head being slowly encased, mummy-​like, in one long braid. It was quite provocative, perhaps meaning to inspire a conversation on feminism or the treatment of women… I’m not sure. What I’m sure of, though, is that it was inappropriate for young kids. Same goes for a very strange video in another room, featuring a person’s drool-​filled mouth with old Shackleton (yes, Ernest Shackleton) expedition movies being shown on the large white front tooth. Do I really need to explain how weird this was? This would have been weird at a «regular» museum — but at the CHILDREN’S museum?
Finally, we sauntered over to the much-​heralded exhibit featuring large, inverted mushroom-​shaped sculptures hanging from floor to ceiling. This forest of amazement was just BEGGING to be touched, felt, experienced. But no, sorry, once again — HANDS OFF, KIDS. What do you think this is? A CHILDREN’S museum???
As soon as I’m done writing this review, I’m going to compose a letter to the Whatcom Museum demanding my money back for this overpriced farce of an afternoon. And to think, I had actually considered purchasing a membership before entering, so that we’d have unlimited admission for the next year. I’m guessing the repeat visits to this place are limited at best. Judging by the fact there were only 2 other (equally bewildered) families there with us, I believe the city owes us a huge apology for spending our hard-​earned taxpayer money on this place.

The Whatcom Museum Lightcatcher Building is the main exhibit space for the Whatcom Museum. The building is lovely, and the giant, curving translucent wall gives the distinctive building its name. I went and wandered through the art exhibits on opening day (Nov. 14, 2009) and was so pleased to see that Bellingham finally has an art museum of this caliber!