When the Discover Center & Pier announced that it was moving to the upcoming Freshwater Research & Innovation Center on South West Bay Shore Drive in Elmwood Township, it meant that the Great Lakes Children’s Museum (GLCM) would need to find a new home.
The GLCM is currently located on the Discovery Center campus in an old boat shop, which has been their home for 18 years. This building is set to be demolished some time before groundbreaking on the Freshwater Research & Innovation Center in late 2025.
Last week, the GLCM announced that the Grand Traverse Mall in Traverse City will be their new temporary home. GLCM Executive Director Tracie MacPherson said that they expect to be there for three to five years. MacPherson also said they are “narrowing in” on a permanent home that will house the museum once they leave their “interim space” at the mall.
