Make it move: Naperville Children's museum revamps exhibit

At one point or another, Mark Wickart has had his hands on nearly every block, track, tube and table at the DuPage Children's Museum in Naperville.

And no, he's not 3 years old.

Wickart manages exhibit fabrication and maintenance for the museum at 301 N. Washington St., which recently revamped part of its Make it Move neighborhood to open up the space and keep kids engaged.

New additions include a ball lift, a Maglev (magnetic levitation) train and more than 400 solid oak ramps crafted by Wickart to replace the ones Louise Beem and Dorothy Carpenter traveled around the county with in 1987.

"All the new stuff was designed and fabricated here," said Peter Crabbe, associate director of exhibits and design. "All the way to the finish."

When Wickart started working for the nonprofit museum almost nine years ago, his workshop was the size of a small office. He even remembers a time when he had to construct parts of a new exhibit outside because he didn't have enough room to work in the shop.

Since then, Wickart's world of wood has been expanded four times, growing to take up a large portion of the lower level but still barely making itself known behind the birthday party rooms and lunchroom area.

"A lot of the public doesn't really know that we build stuff down here," Wickart said. "We're one of the few children's museums that does that."

Not only does building and repairing all of the equipment in-house save the museum thousands of dollars, it adds a personal touch to the stations.

"Every day that I come to work I get to work in a creative atmosphere with a lot of different materials," said Wickart, who worked in the commercial arts business for 25 years. "Things that I haven't used since I was in college."

Wickart is so dedicated to his job that he worked on the new Make it Move exhibit for five weeks knowing he needed knee surgery. He's finally off his crutches and already making plans for his return.

Because as far as he and Crabbe are concerned, the exhibit may be open, but it's not complete.

The new Maglev train, modeled after real-life magnetic trains running in Europe and Asia, is not in full working order yet.

Wickart was forced to abandon the "experimentation station" to take care of his knee but said he can't wait to finish it.

"It'll be even cooler when (kids) can turn the wheel and (the tracks) will move up and down," he said.

Kids also can send blocks tumbling down the slopes, and Wickart will probably get started soon on making more.

Another addition, a ball lift or, more technically, a cam lift, is popular with the older kids. Wickart designed it himself, spending a lot of time online researching designs and materials.

With the turn of a bright orange wheel made from a bike rack, cylinders of different heights with ramps on top move like pistons, advancing the ball along as the ramps align. Kids also can connect a path with the new wooden tracks to carry the ball even farther after it shoots out of a funnel.

For more than 20 years, the tracks have been used to teach kids the basic concepts of physics and motion. Through trial and error, they can learn from a young age that as ramps get steeper, balls roll faster.

"This is an area that (kids) can begin when they're young and take it to when they're 9 or 10 years old," Crabbe said.

He and Wickart also pointed out a new magnetic wall designed to appeal to all ages. It features wooden ramps with magnets on the back so kids can move them around.

"A 2- or 3-year-old just walking up can put a ball in and watch it go," Wickart said.

Construction on the exhibit would not have been possible without volunteers like Dave Dumford, who helped Wickart build the new stations. Dumford's been with the museum for eight years and has racked up more than 5,500 volunteer hours.

"I would say that we rely quite heavily on our volunteer help," Crabbe said. "It really allows us to maximize what we're able to do."

Much of the exhibit stayed the same because Crabbe said kids like consistency.

"You don't want to take their favorite things away," he said, "but you also want to give them something new."

Other changes include painting the walls in lighter colors to open up the space, adding track lighting and designing a new sign for the entrance.

Crabbe said he hopes the changes will prompt kids and parents to come back again and again.

He's already had one parent tell him her son likes the new stations so much she's going to renew her family's yearly membership.

More information about DuPage Children's Museum field trips, summer camps, membership fees and the other exhibits can be found on the museum's website, dupagechildrensmuseum.org.

<p class="factboxtext12col"><b>If you go</b></p>

<p class="factboxtext12col">What: New Make it Move exhibit at the DuPage Children's Museum</p>

<p class="factboxtext12col">Hours: Open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday</p>

<p class="factboxtext12col">Where: 301 N. Washington St. in Naperville</p>

<p class="factboxtext12col">Admission: $8.50 ages 1-59, $7.50 ages 60 and older; members free</p>

<p class="factboxtext12col">Info: (630) 637-8000 or dupagechildrensmuseum.org</p>