would volunteer at the museum until at least 2020. In November 2014, the Children's Museum acquired Peppercorn Theatre, which was founded in 2010 by John Bowhers and Anna Rooney. Peppercorn became a programming arm of the museum and produces high quality, original theatre works and puppet shows to entertain and educate. Merger between Children's Museum and SciWorks A merger between the Children's Museum of Winston-Salem and SciWorks was first discussed in 2015. In July 2016 they officially merged, and Forsyth County commissioners approved $17 million for a new museum building where the sheriff's office used to be. On February 7, 2017, the name Kaleideum, combining kaleidoscope and museum, was announced for the museum. Kaleideum announced on July 6, 2017, that Stitch Design Shop and Gensler would be the architectural firms designing its new building. On June 24, 2021, Forsyth County commissioners approved spending as much as $27.2 million on the new building, expected to open in 2023. The total expected cost is $28.6 million, with $9 million pledged to finance exhibits. Permanent exhibits Kaleideum Downtown features many permanent and rotating exhibits. The permanent exhibits include: "Kaleidoscape", a crocheted climbing structure by fiber artist Toshiko MacAdam; two multi-level climbing structures by playground designer Tom Luckey; "The Enchanted Forest", an imaginative play area with a folklore theme; "The Amazing Library", a library for young readers; "Food Lion Supermarket", a child-sized supermarket area with plush food; "Amazing Airways", a series of air tubes that are designed to allow children to test hypotheses about air flow; " The Prop Shop", a recreated theater backstage that provides craft materials and suggested art activities; and "Krispy Kreme Doughnut Factory", a recreated doughnut assembly line and delivery truck. Kaleideum North features a planetarium; PhysicsWorks, an exploration of physics through simple machines and demonstrations; BioWorks, the museum's collection of small live animals including a Blue-and-yellow macaw; HealthWorks, the museum's human biology exhibit; KevaWorks, a KEVA Planks build area; Mountains to Sea, a natural history exhibit complete with animal, plant, and geological specimens; nature trails; and barnyard and garden learning areas. References External links Charities based in North Carolina Children's museums in North Carolina Museums in Winston-Salem, North Carolina Science museums in North Carolina Planetaria in the United States Zoos in North Carolina Natural history museums in North Carolina Protected areas of Forsyth County, North Carolina Nature centers in North Carolina