Great Plains Children’s Museum: One Local Mom’s Vision
Fargo-Moorhead is a place people choose, and keep choosing, even when winter feels endless. We stay because this community is warm, resilient, and full of people who show up for each other.
We are also growing. More young professionals are putting down roots here and becoming young families. With that growth comes a clear need. Families need more everyday places to go, especially in a climate that keeps us indoors for months at a time.
That is my vision for the Great Plains Children’s Museum. I am building a daily home for families, not a once a year outing. I want a place built for Tuesday mornings with a toddler, after school stops with a first grader, and the weekends when everyone needs somewhere to move, play, and breathe.
The Vision of Great Plains Children’s Museum
We are planning a 30,000 plus square foot children’s museum (about the same size as the Slick City building), on 15 to 20 acres. It will be designed primarily for ages 0 to 12. with hands-on indoor spaces, nature-rich outdoor spaces, and intentionally designed for repeat visits.
We are also designing the space with real families in mind. I want siblings ages 0 to 12 to enjoy the same areas together while still keeping the littlest safe. That means intentional sightlines, age appropriate barriers and boundaries, and smart layouts that let you stay near a baby or toddler while still being able to see your older kids exploring nearby.
You will also see as much active play as we can responsibly build into the museum. Climbing, tiered structures, and gross motor challenges will be woven throughout, because kids learn through movement. Play that gets the whole body involved supports confidence, coordination, and healthy development.
Six Core Zones
The Great Plains Children’s Museum will reflect who we are as a region through six core exhibit zones:
- Roaming the Plains, with an indoor nature center connected to outdoor nature play with water and winter features.
- Arts and Parts, for creative exploration.
- Seed to Table, celebrating agriculture and food from planting to cooking.
- Build It (also called The Garage), introducing kids to skilled trades and craftsmanship.
- FUNdamentals, a miniature town where children practice real life roles through play.
- SENSEsations, with multisensory experiences that invite deeper exploration.
Every zone will be engineered for families and daycares to return often, with intentional content changes that keep the experience fresh.
Support for Caregivers in Fargo
I am working toward opening the Great Plains Children’s Museum because I have seen how often caregivers are left to navigate early childhood alone. We say, “It takes a village,” but for many families that village is not a reality. Too often people rely on social media, late night internet searches, or limited word of mouth. Support can feel confusing or intimidating, and many caregivers wait longer than they should to ask for help.
That is why the heart of this museum is not only play. We are creating something our region has never had before, a Caregiver Coordinator Office. This will be a neutral, non-clinical front door where caregivers can ask real questions and get warm connections to trusted local resources without stigma, bias, or confusion.
How You Can Help
Right now, the Great Plains Children’s Museum is actively looking for advisory committee members and board members who want to help support this mission and shape what this museum becomes for our region.
If you are interested, email me directly at [email protected]. You can also connect with me on LinkedIn.
We are also participating in Giving Hearts Day this year! If you are passionate about helping make this vision com true for local families, we’d love your support in any way possible.
What would a daily home for families change for you in Fargo-Moorhead?
About the Author
Lindsay Breuler’s path to founding the Great Plains Children’s Museum is anything but linear. With degrees in animal science and a master’s in agricultural extension education, her early work led her into teaching, then into self-employment as a fundraising consultant, and eventually into the world of entrepreneur support through organizations like Emerging Prairie and gener8tor. Along the way, she built communities, raised capital, and helped founders access the resources they needed to grow. Now, as a mom of three kids under six, the museum is a deeply personal chapter in her story: a “promised village” where children can explore through play and caregivers can exhale, feel supported, and find connection.
