How to make a reservation to play at the Great Lakes Children’s Museum
How to make a reservation to play at the Great Lakes Children’s Museum. GLCM’s new gallery schedule lets you stay and play all day!
Go to www.greatlakeskids.org/tickets
Choose the date you want to attend
Choose the time you’d like to arrive.
Select the blue time slot to confirm your arrival hour. (you may arrive late)
You can arrive as early as the time on your ticket up until 4:00 PM. Admittance will not be granted until the time on your ticket; this is our primary method of ensuring we stay within capacity and ensure the best guest experience for everyone.
Confirm your arrival time.
If you have a membership, sign into it now. If you’re new to the Museum, feel free to make a free profile – especially if you’re considering a paid membership in the future.
Confirm your tickets and move to checkout.
Your cart will show all tickets, donations, discounts (including membership discounts) and anything else in your cart. If you have a login, you can enter your first name, last name, and login ID to identify yourself. If you have any discount codes, you can apply them here. (Gift Cards will be applied in the next screen). Click checkout to pay the balance shown and check out.
Pay for your order using any of the options shown, including gift cards. Your reservation is not confirmed until payment is received.
You’re all set to show up to the Children’s Museum and play!
GLCM is starting a new Gallery Schedule!
Kids of all ages will get the chance to play all day once again!
(Also See: New Reservation + Birthday Booking + Sales Software at GLCM!)
Why is there so little availability for tickets? Why can’t I buy a ticket for this weekend? Why can’t I book a birthday party for next month?
If you’ve been at the Children’s Museum in the last 3 years and had to stop playing because your session ended – we have good news! We are getting rid of museum sessions and going back to daily admissions! That means that when you purchase a ticket to play in the Museum Galleries, you can stay and play until we close at the end of the day. You’ll be able to make a reservation WEEKS in advance and arrive late without worrying about play time.
BUT there’s a trade off; without sessions to close off, guests will have to share the galleries with Field Trips and Birthday Parties. Whereas any group could reserve the Museum for Exclusive Use and have the place to themselves, now groups who book a field trip or birthday party will get the Great Lakes Room all to themselves – but will share the galleries with the general public.
If you wanted a birthday party with the whole Museum to yourself that’s still an option – but you have to book it for an evening when the Galleries are closed to the public.
CLICK HERE FOR DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO MAKE A RESERVATION
Sessions + Exclusive Use | Timed Ticketing + Bookings | |
---|---|---|
General Admission (Individual tickets to play in the Galleries) | Tickets are purchased for one 2-hour block, guests must arrive and depart within the 2-hour window Guests may arrive any time within the 2-hour window, but cannot stay late if they arrive late | Tickets are purchased for an arrival time, guests must arrive at their ticket time and may stay until the Museum closes at the end of the day. Guests may not arrive before their ticket time (due to gallery capacity) but are welcome to arrive late and stay late. |
Group Reservations (Birthday Parties, Field Trips, and other Reservations) | Field Trips and Birthday Parties were under Exclusive Use, meaning that any booking had the Museum completely to themselves. This was true whether it was a Morning, Noon, Afternoon, or Evening reservation. | Field Trips and Birthday Parties scheduled during open hours will now have just the Great Lakes Room to themselves, and will have to share gallery space with the general public. You can still book a birthday party where you have the whole Museum to yourself if you choose the after-hours option. |