About Us
“We see that it is not the task of Christianity to provide easy answers to every question, but to make us progressively aware of a mystery. God is not so much the object of our knowledge as the cause of our WONDER.”
- Bishop Kallistos Ware
Our
Story
Why would a Church build a Children's Museum?
In 2022, the Archdiocese of Baltimore (AoB) partnered with Our Sunday Visitor's Innovation Institute (OSVi) to host an innovation challenge with the Archdiocese. The goal of the project was to tackle a "wicked problem"; a problem so big it has never been tackled before.
We saw a problem: our modern age has lost the desire to explore the spiritual life. It made us wonder: How might we make faith more than just a “check the box” experience for families?
We believe this problem exists is in part because previous generations were taught to know about God rather than to know God. We need a method which cultivates wonder about who God is - The only response to wonder is worship.
Children create wonder when they play, a spark that captivates even adults without kids. This highlights the transformative power of wonder and the importance of involving parents in formation.
We believe the solution is to harness the “Experience Wonder Through Play” moment by developing the 1st Interactive Parish Sponsored Children’s Museum .
Our Patron
Santa Claus is a real person?!
Our innovation process encouraged us to choose a patron saint. We immediately gravitated towards St. Nicholas of Myra for several reasons:
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Everyone loves St. Nicholas. The love for the saint was so great that protestant immigrants to America brought his stories which eventually transformed into the modern legend of Santa Claus.​ This makes him an ideal saint for any effort involving evangelization.
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One of St. Nicholas' titles is "wonder worker" because of the miracles associated with him. Countless people still flock to his relics and miracles are still attributed to him today. With our desire to foster wonder in our visitors, we felt he was an appropriate choice.
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St. Nicholas is a protector of children. Our modern age has so many devices which seek to manipulate or misuse our children. We hope SNW can be a place where children are loved and treasured for who they are.
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St. Nicholas inspired anonymous generosity. Our hope is to inspire our guests to carry on this tradition in their own lives. Studies have confirmed that generosity practices not only boost our overall mood but, they help to see our lives have a purpose. Our intention is to use part of the proceeds from the museum to fund charitable efforts in our area that do ministry with child