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Good news for parents who have been feeling the loss of the Portland Children’s Museum since it shut down in 2021: There is about to be a new option in town. Prolific local artist Mike Bennett just signed a lease on a downtown property where he will open a rotating, immersive educational play space for families.
“It’s a space for kids to be kids and adults to be kids, and to learn things,” he says.
The address is 603 SW Broadway, the former site of Public Domain Coffee, at the corner of Broadway and Alder Street. It’s located across the street from the forthcoming James Beard Public Market.
Bennett intends for this to be a permanent space, like his St. Johns restaurant and mini-golf course Wonderwood Springs rather than the limited-engagement museums he has created over the years, such as the Crypto-Zoo and Dinolandia.
Bennett envisions the new project as half-science, half-arts/DIY projects. There will be a gift shop where visitors can purchase cartoon cutouts and tchotchkes from Bennett’s past projects. He has created about 50 cartoon characters for the new space so far and plans to have about 150 by the time it opens.
He’s designing with his 8-to-10-year-old self in mind, but Mike Bennett’s immersive art experiences are intended for all ages.
“If you want to learn about the topic I’m teaching, that’s great, but if you want to just immerse in some cartoon art, that’s great too.”
He plans to reveal the theme of the new downtown play space in April and open in June.