Great River Children’s Museum Named Statewide Redevelopment Award Finalist

(KNSI) – A new landmark destination for families in St. Cloud is getting statewide attention.

The Great River Children’s Museum has been named a finalist for the 2026 ReScape Brownfield Redevelopment Awards, presented by Minnesota Brownfields. The museum is among 12 projects from across Minnesota nominated for the honor, which recognizes the cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated and blighted properties.

According to St. Cloud’s Economic Development Director Cathy Mehellch, the Great River Children’s Museum, along with the other 11 finalists, was nominated in one of four award categories: community impact, economic impact, environmental impact, or innovation.

Minnesota Brownfields, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit founded in 2006, created the ReScape Awards to highlight projects that turn contaminated land into community assets while driving economic growth and sustainable development.

The Great River Children’s Museum has been more than 40 years in the making. It began in 1983 when St. Cloud State University professor Glen Palm and early childhood specialist Jane Ellison first envisioned a children’s museum for the region. After decades of community engagement, planning, and fundraising – including a $7 million state legislative award in 2022, the dream became reality when construction started in May 2024.

The museum, housed in a donated 25,000-square-foot former Liberty Bank building in downtown St. Cloud, officially opened its doors on June 10th, 2025, and was honored with the City of St. Cloud’s Historic Preservation Award that same year.

Other projects up for the award include Granite Works II Apartments in Delano, The Williams in St. Paul, Opportunity Crossing in Minneapolis, The Heights in St. Paul, Kyle Garden Square Apartments in Minneapolis, Soo Line Community Garden in Minneapolis, Highway 35 LLC (former Ainsworth Mill) in Grand Rapids, Voyageurs National Park Crane Lake Visitor Center in Crane Lake, and Debre Selam Medhanealem Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Minneapolis.

Winners will be announced at the 15th Annual ReScape Awards Gala on Thursday, April 23rd, at Royalston Square in Minneapolis.

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