Spring hours from April 6-May 11 are 9:30am-1pm Fridays and 9:30am-3pm Saturdays. Summer hours begin May 12 and are from 9:30am-5pm daily, except Sundays. Admission is $4.50 per person.

EXHIBITS
The exhibits at Sandcastles keep growing, thanks to local volunteers. New this year are the Bouldering Wall, a horizontal climbing wall presenting a new kind of challenge and fun for Sandcastles visitors; a Saltwater Fish Tank Watch with new fish and other sea life added throughout the year; and Construction Zone, where children can build creations of all kinds using less common building toys as well as some old favorites. New in 2011 were the Wishing Well Vortex and the Electronic SMART Table. Check out Grandpa's Farm, where children can visit the barn, chicken coop, planting area and milk Buttercup the Cow. The model Pere Marquette River allows kids to build dams and float logs and boats down the river. The Badger Play Ship is modeled after the S.S. Badger carferry and features a slide. Children are captivated by its many attractions, including real instruments, a wheelhouse, space to drive cars on and off, plus nooks and crannies to play in. Other great activities for kids include the interactive Michigan Tree House, the Vet Center, Discovery Bins, Dental Display, Salon, Theater Stage and Dressing Room, Art Center, Sand Box, and Grocery Store. At the Planting Gardens, children can pick and pull vegetables and learn how they grow.

During the summer, Sandcastles offers special programs. Each Tuesday in June, July, and August is a Creative Kids Day when a special craft or activity will be available all day for children and their families to work on together. This year Fun Fridays replace Munchkin Mondays and Thrilling Thursdays. Activities and programs will appeal to all children. Programs will begin at 11am.

Fun Fridays
June 8 Peppermint Patty Theater presents a preview of Three Blind Mice.
June 15 Fun Science with Rebecca Fredricks and Erika Fatura.
June 22 Big Art with Ms. McWilliams.
June 29 Birds of Prey presented by the Outdoor Discovery Center.
July 6 Benjammin and Analisa, an interactive and educational musical experience.*
July 13 Constellations with Ludington Daily News astronomy columnist Wade James.
July 20 Puppets.
July 27 Michigan illustrator Tom Woodruff returns with "Lighthouses."*
August 3 Luunappi - Stories, Poems, and Songs with Patrick Niemisto and Norm Wheeler.*
August 10 Insect & Pond Life Up Close (Mary Ann Ferguson/Marilyn Turner/Kathy Winczewski).
August 17 Artworks with Emily Kanine.
August 24 How Does That Work? with Frank Longmore.
August 31 Fire and Pollution Prevention with Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl- presented by the Huron-Manistee National Forest Service.

*Programs on July 6, July 27 and August 3 are supported by a grant from the Holland Regrant Agency of the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs.

Friday Night Live
Sandcastles will present a new interactive exhibit, Experimentation Station, for children to explore science in fun and exciting ways. Visit us outdoors in front of the museum on July 13, 20, 27 and August 3. Experimentation Station will be available from 6pm-8:30pm.

HISTORY
Sandcastles Children's Museum has been in operation since 2006, and first began as a "summer sampler museum." Visitation to the Museum has grown from 1,500 its first year to more than 20,000 in 2011. They first occupied a small building on South James Street, then moved to a larger facility four times bigger on W. Ludington Ave. Now they have found a permanent home in the former Elks Lodge, corner of N. Harrison and Ludington Avenue. Through donations and many volunteers, the building is being renovated to make it into a kid-friendly museum.

HOURS
Summer hours are 9:30am-5pm Monday-Saturday. Fall and winter hours (Sept. 7-Dec. 29) will be announced later. Admission to Sandcastles alone is $4.50 per person, babies one year and younger free.

If you would like to make a donation to Sandcastles, you may write a check to the Community Foundation for Mason County and send it to Sandcastles at P.O. Box 595, Ludington, MI 49431. Or go online to mason-foundation.org to make a credit card donation directly to the Sandcastles Capital Campaign fund.