Updated exhibit at Gilbert House Children’s Museum now open

Visit the Salem Station exhibit to get behind the wheel of a Cherriots bus

If you have visited the Gilbert House Children’s Museum in recent weeks you may have noticed that the Salem Station exhibit has been under construction. The area has been intermittently closed due to efforts by Cherriots to update the bus exhibit to replace a few worn components and make it more interactive. As of Thursday, June 22, the last of the major updates were made and the exhibit is now ready for a summer full of exploration and play!

Much of the renovation involved the installation of components from a retired Gillig bus from within the Cherriots fleet, enhancing the realism of the exhibit. The new additions include:

• Dashboard and driver controls
• Acceleration pedal 
• Steering wheel 
• Header card and lighting trim
• Stop cord 
• Reupholstered driver seat
• 55 inch monitor with looped footage of several Cherriots Local routes from a driver’s perspective

Cherriots Transportation Options program spearheaded the renovation as part of ongoing outreach and educational initiatives. The updated Cherriots exhibit will help educate our community’s youth on public transit, demystifying its use, and build excitement about public transportation from a young age. Cherriots hopes that the exhibit will have a positive effect toward raising up a generation that enjoys, supports, and uses public transit. Visit the Gilbert House Children’s Museum and check it out!

For more information on all that the Gilbert House Children’s Museum has to offer and to plan your visit, go to their website: Gilbert House Children’s Museum

How about you make a day of exploring public transit? You can plan your trip to other locations in the Salem-Keizer region using our Trip Planner. Remember, youth 0-18 ride for free! 

Want to learn more about riding Cherriots with kids? Visit Riding with Kids