Children playing and exploring at a colorful outdoor playground with slides, sand play, climbing structures, and a sandbox area, during the daytime.
Black outline of a tower with words 'create,' 'play,' and 'explore' on it. Colorful text 'Community Play Day' at the top right. A logo for Gilbert House Children's Museum with icons of a scientist, builder, traveler, and scientist. Text 'Gilbert House Children's Museum' below the logo. The word 'INVENT' inside the tower.

Community Play Day

Thank You Sponsors!

Logo of Dake Construction Co., Inc., featuring the company name in black text with a red underline.
PGE logo in blue with a diamond shape surrounding the letters PGE.
Logo for Mountain West Center for Community Excellence with a green arrow icon.
Logo of Salem Health Hospitals and Clinics in purple and green colors.

Monday, February 16, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Admission: Invite Only

A Day of Discovery, Learning, and Pure Play! At Gilbert House, we believe play is for everyone. Community Play Day is a private event where we close our doors to the public to host an exclusive day of exploration for families served by our local child-centered partners. From our three historic houses to our massive Outdoor Discovery Area, your family is invited to adventure, create, and make lasting memories together in a space built just for kids.

What to Expect: Families will enjoy full access to all museum exhibits, including special hands-on creative stations in the Wilson Durbin House led by museum educators. We are thrilled to host a pop-up with The Reading Nest, where children can participate in literacy activities and pick out a free book to take home. Between adventures, enjoy complimentary snack samples from our local partners and stop by the photo booth to capture a souvenir of your day of play!

Information for Community Partners

Are you a non-profit or organization in Marion or Polk County that serves children and families? We want to partner with you!

Partnering organizations receive digital promotional materials and exclusive registration links to share with their families. (Please note: There is a maximum of 150 people per organization).

Important Dates for Partners:

  • Friday, Jan 9th: Deadline to provide a quick estimate of your expected attendance.

  • Monday, Jan 12th: Promotional materials and official registration links will be sent to all partners.

Want to get involved? If your organization would like to be added to our invitation list, or if you are a local business interested in providing snack-size samples for families, please contact us at promotions@acgilbert.org.

Download Media Kit