Saskatchewan’s first and only children’s museum opened on June 28 in Saskatoon, and to say it’s been a hit among kids and adults alike is an understatement.

Located in Saskatoon’s iconic Mendel building on Spadina Crescent East, across the street from Nutrien Playland at Kinsmen Park, the completely renovated and re-imagined space features fun, colourful, interactive exhibits that encourage exploration and curiosity.

I didn’t know exactly what to expect from my first visit to the Wonderhub, but upon entering the building I was immediately impressed. This is truly a world-class facility; we’ve visited another children’s museum before — in Palm Springs, California — and one of my first thoughts was that Saskatoon’s is on par, if not better. My family joined some friends on a Wednesday morning in late July for our first visit to the Wonderhub. Here are a few observations from our initial trip.

1. Go early: Prior to visiting the children’s museum we had heard from other parents that the Wonderhub is very popular and, therefore, very busy. That means long lineups and often some impatient waiting to get in. To try to minimize our time in line, we arrived right before the facility opened at 9 a.m. (it is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. except on Mondays, when it’s closed). Although we had to wait in line for a few minutes, it was no big deal. We filled out our waiver, paid and were in the museum within 10 minutes. When we left around 10:30 a.m., however, a sign on the front door of the building indicated it was already at capacity.

2. Cost: Admission for our family of four — including my husband, Jayce, our sixyear-old son, Jack, and our three-year-old son, Samuel — cost $33.60. My first thought was that the admission price seemed kind of expensive, and I wondered about the affordability for all families in our city. So I was happy to see on social media the recent announcement of some free admission days that are coming this fall, on Oct. 13 and Dec. 15. It warms my heart that all kids will be able to enjoy the wonders of the Wonderhub, regardless of household income.

3. Coffee: I don’t know about you, but if I’m going to be out in public at 9 a.m. in a busy space — particularly one buzzing with oodles of excited children — I want some coffee. Unfortunately, during our visit in late July, there was none available at the Wonderhub. But there’s good news: Kindle Café, which will be accessible through the building’s lobby, is expected to open for business this month, according to the Wonderhub’s website. It will certainly be convenient to have a space for thirsty kids to grab a drink and refuel with some snacks, and for parents to enjoy a much-needed jolt of caffeine.

4. Parking: One of the perks of going to Nutrien Wonderhub is the free parking. Parking is available on the south side of the building, east of Spadina, and across the street at Nutrien Playland. However, it’s important to go early to make sure you get a spot; the lot on the south side of the building was almost full at 10:30 a.m. on the Wednesday morning we were there. Another thing to note is that the free parking is limited to three hours.

5. Exhibits: Now for the best part: the exhibits. There is so much to see and do at the Wonderhub that it would be easy to spend an entire morning or afternoon there; luckily, if you keep your admission receipt, you are allowed to leave the building and come back again later without having to re-pay. My boys particularly enjoyed the Northern Lights exhibit, located in the Main Gallery, which pays tribute to Saskatchewan’s skies and casts colours on a wall through motion-activated technology. Another hit was Cosmic Commotion, located in the very popular North Gallery (it’s worth noting that the North Gallery space was often at capacity when we were visiting and there was sometimes a separate lineup to enter it). Cosmic Commotion is a very tactile experience; children can swing from dangling crocheted “pods” and explore the structure’s web-like surface. It should also be noted that Nutrien Wonderhub is the only North American facility with a permanent installation from internationally acclaimed artist Toshiko Horiuchi.

6. Favourites: There are so many fun things to see and do at the Wonderhub that I don’t have space to mention them all here. Personally, I really liked Toon Town in the Main Gallery, with its various spaces for imaginative play such as a veterinarian’s office and a market. My sons, however, were absolutely smitten with the Discovery Mine on the Lower Level. The attention to detail that went into the kid-focused mini mine is fantastic; after putting on our safety vests, glasses and hard hats, we took an elevator down into an interactive space full of machines, vehicles and even a conveyor to transfer ore to a lift. My kids were all smiles — especially Samuel, who loves trucks and tools. The Discovery Mine is perfect for a child who is interested in science or who dreams of working as a miner, geologist, mechanic or engineer. Overall, I’d give our visit to Nutrien Wonderhub top marks. It’s amazing that we have such a wonderful facility in Saskatoon, and I’m so happy that my kids are at the perfect ages to enjoy it to the fullest. I’m sure we’ll be back to explore again soon; after all, my sons’ favourite question now is: “Can we go to the children’s museum today?”

-Shannon Boklaschuk