It’s been more than four years since the indelible Fred Rogers died of stomach cancer, but the legacy of the soft-spoken “neighbor” lives on in reruns of his popular PBS show, and now in a museum exhibit that is expected to draw thousands to New Orleans.
The Louisiana Children’s Museum is about to get a much-needed shot in the arm thanks to the new Rogers inspired exhibit. The exhibit, which includes a replica of King Friday’s castle and a closet full of sweaters and sneakers (replicas of the ones worn by Fred Rogers) opens this Friday, the one year anniversary of the museum’s reopening after being shut down following Hurricane Katrina.
The tribute to Mister Rogers was a traveling exhibit that had visited 31 museums in 22 states before becoming a permanent exhibit at the Louisiana Children’s Museum. You could consider it a gift to the children of New Orleans—that’s how museum employees are looking at it.
The museum suffered extensive roof and water damage after being hit by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 and remained closed for close to a year. It reopened in June 2006, and since then tens of thousands of visitors have toured the building. However, museum directors say they are hoping the new exhibit will be of special interest to the children of New Orleans who survived the devastating hurricane. Curators say they are hoping families find it “somewhat of a calming and safe place.”
The new exhibit is similar to one that is already a permanent part of the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. It includes several hands-on activities including one that teaches kids how to pilot a tugboat down the Mississippi. Another exhibit is a mock grocery store that teaches kids about healthy eating habits. Visitors enter the exhibit through a front porch then walk into Mister Rogers’ living room. Inside guests can play with a miniature trolley, try costumes on in King Friday’s castle and play with puppets in X the Owl’s big oak tree. You can even take your picture next to an original pair of sneakers worn by Rogers on the show.
The executive director of the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh recently told news reporters that New Orleans was a natural choice for the exhibit because of Rogers’ belief that neighbors need to look out for each other.
“As Fred Rogers said, ‘At the heart of every neighborhood are its children.’”
I can’t imagine how thrilled my 3-year-old would be getting the chance to play with Daniel the Tiger or being allowed to sit in Mister Roger’s living room.
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