DuPage Children's Museum could get $1.94 mil boost from state

The cash-strapped DuPage Children's Museum could receive a $1.94 million boost if the state's capital spending plan becomes a reality.

Five state legislators requested funding for the nonprofit museum in Naperville that is struggling to pay off a $9.4 million in debt.

"It's a great signal, the idea that there's recognition at that level of the value the museum has in terms of communities and families we work with," said Alison Segebarth, director of marketing and membership.

The museum, which provides learning opportunities through interactive exhibits, moved into its location at 301 N. Washington St. in 2001 but the move put it $13.3 million in debt. Fundraising slowed after the Sept. 11 attacks and the current economic climate is also putting a damper on such efforts.

Museum officials have been exploring a variety of options, including asking Naperville to buy the property, pursuing a naming gift and commercial developments and selling the site and moving to a new location.

Museum leaders and supporters have been aggressively reaching out to elected officials at all levels for help.

State Rep. Darlene Senger, a Naperville Republican and member of the museum board, was one of the five lawmakers who requested funding for the museum as part of the state's capital spending plan. She approached several colleagues to do the same in hopes of keeping the museum's doors open.

"This museum is special because everything is about learning and in a lot of the museum the learning process has to do with math ... so it's such a valuable asset to Naperville and DuPage County and the rest," Senger said. "It's a good place to take kids when they're young."

The $1.5 billion in projects in the capital plan state lawmakers recently approved would be funded by allowing video poker machines in bars and raising vehicle fees and increasing taxes on alcohol.

However, it is still awaiting a signature from Gov. Pat Quinn, who is withholding approval until lawmakers send him a balanced operating budget.

In the meantime, Segebarth said a "combination of resources" will be needed to deal with the debt and museum officials are continuing to look for solutions.

"To have that recognition at this level helps us get additional partners at the other levels," she said of the state funding. "While this is incredibly encouraging and we're very happy about it, we are still working toward the greater objective to get the museum on public land."