Reaching New Heights: MCDC Heads to InterActivity 2025

The Magic City Discovery Center’s marketing team just returned from an inspiring trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where they attended InterActivity 2025: Uplifting the Community – Reaching New Heights Together, hosted by the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) and Explora! It was three jam-packed days of learning, connecting, and dreaming big about the future of children’s museums—and we’re excited to bring those ideas back to Minot.

What is InterActivity?

InterActivity is the largest gathering of children's museum professionals in the country, and it’s where the magic happens (besides our own building, of course!). From May 14-16, the conference brought together leaders from across the field to explore how children’s museums can better listen to their communities, amplify family voices, and create meaningful change.

Sessions, Speakers & So Much Inspiration

Our team dove into breakout sessions focused on inclusive storytelling, boosting fundraising success, growing strong leadership, and sparking creativity in everything from exhibit design to social media. The opening plenary panel, led by Albuquerque’s first Poet Laureate Hakim Bellamy, reminded us of the powerful role museums play in creating ecosystems that center families and uplift communities.

Networking & New Ideas

We mingled with museum pros from all over the country, swapped success stories, and gathered creative ideas from the ACM MarketPlace—a vibrant expo featuring exhibits, educational products, tech tools, and more. It was like a science fair for children’s museums, buzzing with energy and innovation! Every person and museum we chatted with offered a spark of inspiration, from sensory-friendly solutions to STEAM program enhancements, we can't wait to explore back home. We returned with not just ideas, but real connections and resources that will help us continue creating joyful, meaningful experiences for families at the Magic City Discovery Center.

A Taste of Albuquerque

When we weren’t learning, we were exploring! We visited the ABQ BioPark, wandered through Historic Old Town, and sampled some of Albuquerque’s world-famous cuisine (red or green chile? We tried both!). One of our favorite stops was Explora!, where we got to be kids again—tinkering, testing, and laughing our way through over 250 hands-on exhibits. From creating mini-engineering marvels to diving into colorful art-meets-science activities, every corner sparked our curiosity. It was easy to see why Explora! is such a beloved space for families—it brought out our playful sides and reminded us how powerful learning through play really is.

Why This Matters

Professional development like InterActivity helps us continue growing as a museum and as a team. Every session, conversation, and meal helped us reimagine how the Magic City Discovery Center can continue to serve as a welcoming, creative, and inclusive space for kids and families in our own community. As we learned from Explora’s incredible children’s museum, when a community prioritizes children, everyone thrives.

We’re so excited to bring this energy back to Minot—and we’ve got some ideas cooking that we can’t wait to share!

Stay tuned, and thank you for helping us keep the magic alive!