KidsQuest: The Community's Museum

At the northern edge of Downtown Bellevue stands a building with hard-to-miss fluorescent green trim, alive with the joyful shrieks of children. Step inside and you’ll be met with a 28-foot Atrium Climber, smiling staff, and an overwhelming air of wonder and whimsy. In every direction lies a new discovery waiting to be uncovered. Welcome to KidsQuest Children’s Museum!

At KidsQuest, children are encouraged to take safe risks, get dirty, and be their authentic selves. For some, that means scaling the rope tower or splashing around in the water exhibit. Others may find creative inspiration within the secret world of the Story Tree. No matter your fancy, the museum offers a step away from daily life into a world of wonder and imaginative play. Its philosophy encourages hands-on engagement and interactive experiences to foster growth and development.

"Parents, children, and our employees can reinvent themselves here, which I love. Everyone gets the chance to be as fearless as they can be,” says Putter Bert, president of KidsQuest Children's Museum.

Putter has spent her whole career helping children nurture their most creative, courageous selves. She grew up attending the Boston Children’s Museum with her mother and returned as a young adult, ready to begin her professional life. It was there that she found immense purpose, ultimately deciding to pursue a career within the realm of children’s museums. After stays in New Hampshire, Arkansas, and Tacoma, she had only planned to live in Washington for five years before returning to the East Coast. But 25 years later, KidsQuest remains her home. 

KidsQuest can be a haven for people of all ages, Putter says. For many caregivers, spending time at the Museum can mean a day of relief. It’s not just a place where children play; it’s where adults can connect with one another, recharge, or take a moment to themselves. Putter jokes that sometimes, even a short conversation with another adult that isn’t about poop can provide some much-needed respite. The museum was thoughtfully designed with this in mind – it is outfitted with abundant seating to welcome long stays. The space encourages families to linger, relax, and explore at their own pace. Visitors can grab a coffee from the onsite Bellden Cafe pop-up, eat lunch at a restaurant nearby, and still return to play for hours.

Every corner of the museum fosters connection and inclusivity. The “On the Go” exhibit, for example, brings children together as they move boxes along conveyor belts, load trucks, and collaborate seamlessly with strangers. These moments of spontaneous teamwork highlight the openness of young minds and the magic of shared play. Messes, too, are celebrated. The newly opened mud kitchen lets kids get hands-on with dirt, twigs, and petals, fostering creativity and sensory exploration. The art studio offers numerous opportunities to play with clay, paint, wire, and more to understand how art and science collide. Low-sensory days are also offered, where lights are dimmed and noise levels are reduced so that everyone is invited to enjoy the museum at their own pace.

“Our educators are so creative, often finding ways to use everyday household items as part of the museum's hands-on experiences. We want to make sure whatever you learn and do here, you can recreate at home. You can use things like electric toothbrushes, tape markers to them, and send them flying over a big piece of paper," says Putter.

The museum is a space where children can take “safe risks” such as hammering nails in the Makers Space. These experiences, albeit sometimes difficult for adults to embrace, are vital for children’s growth. Inspired by Gever Tulley’s book 50 Dangerous Things You Should Let Your Children Do, the museum integrates challenges that encourage independence and exploration.

Beyond its exhibits, the museum fills a critical role in education. It offers early learning classes, outreach programs, and field trips with local schools that bring joy back into learning. Every preschooler in the Bellevue School District gets to take their first field trip to this museum. These efforts are supported by a shared mission with educators to enrich children's lives in ways that public schools often can’t afford.

“Our mission is lifelong learning. You can learn something every day, and it’s a privilege to do so! Just because you’ve done something one way, doesn’t mean that’s how you have to do it all the time," challenges Putter. "And if you have a great idea for us to change something – bring it on.”

While the museum’s magic feels effortless, sustaining it requires immense effort. As a nonprofit, the organization must raise 50% of its budget annually, a challenging feat that relies heavily on community support. Membership fees help individual families, but only outside contributions ensure the museum remains accessible to everyone. The museum’s team strives to demystify the traditional image of a museum as a privileged, predominantly white space. Instead, it represents a place where people from all walks of life feel welcomed.

“We don’t want to just be a museum in the community. We want to be the community’s museum.”

As the Downtown Bellevue community welcomes the new year, KidsQuest is doing the same with an abundance of schedule offerings in the coming months, including 21+ crafting hours, pysanky workshops, and a teddy bear clinic. See the full schedule online.

This blog is part of the Heart of Bellevue: our campaign to showcase local businesses while connecting you with stories of activity, creativity and recovery. Find out about our campaign and explore more of what’s happening around Downtown.

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KidsQuest Children's Museum
1116 108th Ave NE
Bellevue, WA 98004

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