ROCK HILL, S.C.,None — York County's newest cultural venue ended its first six months with a $3,000 surplus, according to a Culture and Heritage Museums spokesperson.
Other good news: Membership sales are up.
The Main Street Children's Museum opened its doors during Rock Hill's ChristmasVille celebration in December with widespread community support.
But critics railed against the $1.2 million venture, which was paid for by the city of Rock Hill, York County and a mix of grants from private and public sources.
Some members of York County Council and the county museum commission claimed the children's museum was a waste of taxpayers' money. They warned that in the current economy, the museum would likely run at a loss.
Located in the former People's National Bank building on Main Street, the museum houses interactive play exhibits serving infants to 6-year-olds.
The exhibits were inspired by the whimsical artwork of late artist Vernon Grant, who lived the last half of his life in Rock Hill.
The museum also offers regular educational programming in literacy, art, music and other themes and partners with community organizations to reach underserved children and parents.
With six months behind it, the children's museum is paying for its operating expenses through admission fees, store sales and other earned income along with donations and grants, according to figures compiled by museum staff.
"That's very promising," York County Councilman Chad Williams said on Monday. "I look forward to it continuing to be successful."
York County Councilman Curwood Chappell voted to support the museum last year but has since questioned museum leadership and the rising price tag. The project was supposed to cost $900,000 but grew to $1.2 million.
"I'm not against something for the kids," Chappell said Monday before launching into a critique.
The museum's surplus, he said, doesn't take into account the amount of money taxpayers contributed to build the museum.
The children's museum has breathed new life into the Culture and Heritage Museums' other venues, which include Historic Brattonsville in McConnells, the Museum of York County on Mount Gallant Road in Rock Hill, and the McCelvey Center in York.
From December to the end of May, 157 memberships to the county museums were sold at the children's museum. In that same time, the other museums sold a combined 254 memberships - up from 88 during the same period the year before.
"It's new life blood for us," said Jeannie Marion, deputy director for marketing and visitor services.
Not only has membership increased, Marion said, but the museum is reaching "a whole new audience" of young children and their families who are attending all the museums' venues.
From the start, museum leaders have maintained that the children's museum would break even. But making money was never the point, said executive director Van Shields.
Williams agreed.
"Not losing money was definitely a goal, but I'm somewhat encouraged that there is a surplus," he said.
The $3,000 surplus is nice, Shields said, but the museum's real purpose is creating "cultural capital."
The museum opened with the goal of reaching a new audience of younger children and their families, and "to start (them) on the path of appreciating cultural venues in their lives," Shields said.
"The proof is in the pudding" that the museum is achieving that goal, he said.
Monthly attendance ranged between 1,360 to 1,550 from January to June for a total of 8,506.
And only a fraction of visitors come from school groups, which make up more than half the visitors at Brattonsville and the Museum of York County.
Attendance at those locations dropped last year because fewer school groups visited. This year, nonschool visitors increased at the Museum of York County by about 700. More than 1,200 visitors attended Brattonsville's Children's Day at the Farm last year, but this year, only 137 attended because of poor weather.
Brattonsville, the Museum of York County and the children's museum have had more than 38,000 visitors from January to June this year.
On Monday, Williams said he remains "cautiously optimistic" about the children's museum's continued success.
The children's museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, from noon to 5 p.m. Sundays, and is closed on Mondays.
Regular admission is $5 for children and adults. Culture and Heritage Museum members' admission is $3, as is admission for pre-booked groups of 15 or more. Children younger than 1 are admitted free.
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