Regnier is my maiden name. My grandparents Vic and Helen were real estate developers in Johnson County. Their three kids, Vic Jr, Bob (my dad), and Cathy run the Regnier Family Foundation. Wonderscope was a cause that my grandparents supported because they were really supportive of kids and education – they originally bought an old school in Shawnee to house Wonderscope in the 90’s when it was looking for a new home. The Foundation continued to provide operating support and free rent to Wonderscope in the years since my grandparents passed in the early 2000’s.
In 2013, I was recruited to come on the Wonderscope board by a fellow Centurion who didn’t know anything about my family connection. They had a new, energetic group of board members who wanted to work to build a new museum, which sounded like an amazing goal, so I joined. I served on the board for 6 years total, including 2 years as board chair (I rolled off at the end of 2018), and when we officially started the capital campaign the Regnier Family Foundation agreed to make the lead gift and my dad served as the Campaign Steering Committee Chair. It’s been a pretty amazing civic project to be involved with, and I feel fortunate to have been able to do it with my family as well.
https://www.wonderscope.org/about-us/history/
The Regnier Family Wonderscope Children’s Museum, is the Kansas City region’s only fully-accessible, non-profit children’s museum dedicated to providing STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math – educational experiences for young children.
Located at 433 East Red Bridge Road in Kansas City, Missouri, the new Wonderscope features 30,000 square feet of indoor exploration and 1/2 acre of year-round outdoor adventure. The museum is easily accessible via public transportation and major roadways.
Exhibits
The exhibits at the new Wonderscope were designed by a world-class team of experts experienced in creating one-of-a-kind children’s museums. Exhibit areas explore the many crossroads of Kansas City.
Crossroads of Past and Future
Hop aboard a riverboat, railway car, and horse-drawn covered wagon and explore Kansas City’s history of transportation and exploration.
WonderMart
Enter Kansas City’s tiniest grocery store and play shopper, check-out cashier, and shelf re-stocker.
Creation Station: Design Lab and Art Studio
Join KC’s vibrant creative community! Dabble in a lab featuring design and technology tools and a studio filled with an array art and craft materials.
WaterWorks
Splash away while engineering the course of water in a refreshing play area reflective of Kansas City fountains and rivers.
Kansas City Café
Plan, prepare, and serve up some imaginative cuisine at Wonderscope’s play cafe. The specialty? KC BBQ, of course!
On the Move!
Sprint into this high-energy zone to run, jump, pitch, throw, pitch – and imagine playing for a favorite Kansas City sports team.
Wonder Climber
Scale this KC-themed, floor-to-ceiling play apparatus until you reach the top and board a school bus that actually takes you outside of the building!
Kid City
Explore this little Kansas City-themed nook designed especially for children under the age of 4.
NatureScape
Venture outdoors into a half-acre of active exhibits that echo the greater Kansas City region’s diverse environments: urban, suburban, rural, natural, and agricultural.
Other Spaces
Gift Shop
Program Rooms
Party Rooms
Nursing Nook
Relaxation Station
