Yelpers Do Knock Knock

 

One thing that I love about Yelp is that every month there is an event where you can go check out a local business. I started going to these as a way to get out of my comfort zone, and now I anxiously await seeing where the next month's event is! The March event was an adult only night out at the Knock Knock Children's Museum!

One of the super cool things about Knock Knock is that it's an educational way to play. For someone who grew up in a family of teachers, I can appreciate how great this is for our community. We used to be members here for when my daughter was younger, so it was so much fun to be able to go back and be able to try all of the areas, except my favorite bubbles because they were out of commission. ☹

They gave us a scavenger hunt that involved us going to pretty much all of the stations. However, my second favorite, the art garden, was not part of the scavenger hunt and not open to us for the night. 

I know it's sounding like a recipe for not so much fun for me, but I had the BEST time! I got to dance in the Star Studio, try my hand at Supermarket Sweep in the grocery store, etch my name in Knock Knock Square, try my hand at some puzzles, and even drill, saw and sand my own block of wood! I can honestly say that I had never done that because my daughter wasn't big on that area. 

The museum itself is first class in not only the activities, but the looks. I knew that it probably took a lot of money to keep those doors open, but I didn't realize just how much. I also didn't realize that over half of the operating cost comes from donations and corporate sponsorships. 

It was also obvious from listening to the museum employees that they take feedback from the community seriously. They mentioned how they have started participating in Free First Sunday once a quarter, which is a program where local museums are free on the first Sunday of the month to eliminate the financial barrier that a person may have from being able to enjoy them. 

They have also added some lactation areas and a sensory room, and have even added some sensory hours for children who may not be able to enjoy the space on a busy day. It is also free for those families to attend during that time as well. 

We were also able to sample some bites from Brasserie Byronz, the latest concept in the Byronz family. They also discussed how they took the dishes that the community loved at Bistro Byronz and then remade them into something a little different; one of the best sellers at Bistro Byronz is their pot roast, and we sampled some pot roast sliders. We also got to sample the hot honey chicken bites, which are a feature on their bar menu, and then their fried goat cheese balls. 

The highlight of the night for me was not climbing story book tower (pictured to the left) but was when they told us they were bringing back Knockturnal Nights! 

Knockturnal Nights are 21 and up nights at the museum, where adults can unleash their inner child and have free reign of the museum! The last one I went to was for Cinco de Mayo last year, and there were many local restaurants selling food, margaritas, and there was even a tequila sampling! I also spent the majority of my night in the art garden and left with a picture that stayed on my wall until we moved into our house in November. 

The theme for this first one is board games, and you know I LOVE me some board games, so I cannot WAIT for tickets to go on sale!