The Children’s Museum, a West Hartford institution that since 2022 has been struggling to find a permanent home, is closing its doors.

“This decision was not made lightly,” museum leadership wrote. “For nearly 100 years, the Museum’s walls have held the laughter, curiosity, and learning of generations of children and the families, educators, and supporters who stood beside them. We understand how meaningful this space has been to our community and share in the sense of loss this news brings.”

But the space from which the museum is moving on is relatively new.

The Children’s Museum and its preschool were housed in a building in the town’s center alongside its lifesize statue of Conny the sperm whale. Both relocated after Kingswood Oxford School sold the land the museum was built on to developers for luxury apartments. The Children’s Museum sold the land to the private school in 2003.

The museum and its preschool vacated the site and settled temporarily in a building on the Emanuel Synagogue property on Mohegan Drive. Costs to move Conny in its entirety were too high and volunteers installed a piece of the massive statue on the Trout Brook Greenway, arranged to suggest that the whale is diving into the ocean.

But a flood in the Emanuel Synagogue space last fall forced the museum to again close its doors. Staff were hoping to repair the damage and reopen but it ultimately proved impossible.

“Following the flood on November 13, 2025, our team worked closely with Emanuel Synagogue to carefully evaluate the damage to the lower-level museum space and the extensive repairs required to safely reopen. After months of assessment and thoughtful discussion, our Board of Directors and leadership made the very difficult decision not to reopen the physical museum in our current West Hartford location,” the museum said.

The preschool is unaffected, the museum said, and will remain in the Mohegan Drive space.

“We are grateful to share that The Children’s Museum Preschool was not impacted by the flood and will continue operating at Emanuel Synagogue. Our staff has embraced this moment with creativity and care, enriching our preschool classroom and community spaces with museum-inspired elements.”

Museum staff said they are continuing to search for a permanent home for the Children’s Museum but in the meantime it is serving the community through mobile museum programs, outreach experiences and partnerships.

“We are profoundly thankful for your support, partnership, and belief in our work,” staff said. “Your commitment helps sustain our mission during this transition, and we look forward to sharing updates as the next chapter of The Children’s Museum takes shape.”

PHOTOS: Conny the Whale’s tail removed, stored in West Hartford

https://www.courant.com/2026/02/05/childrens-museum-closes-its-doors-after-nearly-100-years/