This December, KidsQuest Children’s Museum celebrates 20 years of sparking creativity, curiosity, and connection for families across the Eastside and beyond. What began as a grassroots idea among local parents and educators in the 1990s has grown into a nationally recognized destination for hands-on, STEAM-centered learning, welcoming more than three million visitors since opening its doors.
KidsQuest history: Fostering children’s play since the beginning
Think of KidsQuest’s story as a whimsical, layered cake: each tier slightly off-center but perfectly balanced, every layer filled with color, play, and a generous serving of imagination.
The first layer was baked in 2005, when KidsQuest opened at Bellevue’s Factoria Mall. Here, children could climb a towering treehouse, steer a pirate ship, splash in water, or imagine life on the road inside a real PACCAR semi-truck cab. Every exhibit was designed to put play at the forefront of discovery, encouraging children to experiment, solve problems, and create alongside their caregivers.
“For children, play is an essential need. It’s just as important as food, clothing, or shelter,” says Putter Bert, KidsQuest’s President and CEO. “As a vital educational resource, our mission is rooted in play to foster a love for lifelong learning. We want to give our visitors the toolkit to discover and learn something new every day.”
Science and play collide at the old Factoria Mall KidsQuest Children’s Museum location.
Beloved programs like the Gingerbread Workshop, Teddy Bear Clinic, and Pysanky Egg Decorating Workshop became signature sprinkles on the KidsQuest experience, bringing families of all backgrounds to learn and laugh together. “We’ve always had a quilt of the community in terms of cultural and economic diversity,” Bert adds. “Everyone is welcome here. No matter what. As long as you’re kind and joyful, we want to play with you.”
Taking the mission and creating a space
As KidsQuest’s impact grew, so did its recipe for success. Educators began taking the Museum’s mission beyond its walls, bringing hands-on STEAM activities to schools, libraries, and community events across the region. The community’s appetite for playful learning only expanded, and by 2017, KidsQuest had outgrown its first home.
That year, the Museum added a new tier—moving into the former Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art in downtown Bellevue. The reimagined space offered fresh ingredients for discovery: a 2.5-story Climber, a Story Tree, the Bellevue Mercantile, outdoor space Sticks & Stones, and a dedicated Art Studio. All these exhibits were designed to help children explore STEAM concepts in joyful, organic ways.
KidsQuest’s foundation of creating learning through play remains the sturdy base beneath every layer. Through partnerships with schools, libraries, and family service organizations, the Museum continues to expand access to playful learning for children of all backgrounds and abilities. In 2019, KidsQuest became a certified Sensory Accessible Venue, ensuring all children and families feel safe, welcome, and able to participate fully in the joy of discovery.
KidsQuest in the community at an outreach event in Renton.
A place for all families to connect and learn
Today, KidsQuest stands as a cornerstone of its ever-growing community. The Museum proudly serves as the place where families connect, children lead their own learning, and imagination knows no age limit. “We don’t want to just be a museum in the community,” says Bert. “We want to be the community’s museum.”
As KidsQuest looks ahead, the next layer is already taking shape. Plans for the future include new ways to bring art and science together in the heart of downtown Bellevue and continuing to serve as a space where little hands shape big ideas.
More than a building, KidsQuest reflects the community that built it: volunteers, donors, educators, and families who have added their own ingredients to its story. And no matter how tall the cake grows, its foundation remains the same: a love of learning that lasts a lifetime.
