Gala 2026 – Tickets now on Sale!

All Aboard the Silver Line: A 25th Anniversary Gala is the theme for our 2026 CMOR Gala, to be held on Friday, November 20, in the historic CMOR Gym. We’re planning a train-themed evening you won’t want to miss. Tickets are $125 per person and on sale here.

Our evening will feature…

• Emcee Will Puckett, WVLT-TV Anchor
• Guest speaker Don Hunnicutt presenting Secret City Trains through the Lens of Ed Westcott
• Presentation of the Selma Shapiro Friend of the Child Award to Suzan Bowman
• Silent auction with many unique items
• Live auction with Bear Stephenson
• Dinner from Birdwell Catering

Sponsoring the Gala is a great way to support the museum with a variety of benefits including Gala tickets. Learn more about sponsorships here.

Thank you to this year’s sponsors:

Locomotive ($5,000)
CNS

Conductor ($2,500)
Jim & Ronnie Bogard
Larry & Marge Burkholder
Enrichment Federal Credit Union
ORAU
George & Michelle Solomon

Sleeper Car ($1500)
Bonnie Carroll & Roy Cooper

Ticket Agent – $1,000
Fred & Sandra Barry
Suzan Bowman
Susan McCarthy
Retirement Planning Services, Inc.
Strata-G
TN Bank

Caboose – $500
Sheldon & Teresa Green
Barry & Sandra Guryan
Herron-Connell Insurance Group
Methodist Medical Center
Oak Ridge Floral
Sexton Automotive
Beth & Bill Shea
Robert & Carol Smallridge

victory brick orders return!

Through December 31

In need of a meaningful holiday gift for a history lover?

Each fall, the Children’s Museum opens the Victory Brick campaign to raise funds to maintain and improve the Flattop House, an original structure that is an important part of Oak Ridge’s rich Manhattan Project history.

You can help the Flattop House by donating an engraved Victory Brick ($250 each). Each brick can have up to 4 lines of text. Your engraved brick will be added to the Victory Brick walkway that is in front of the Flattop House.

To donate a brick, please visit our Victory Brick page. Your donation will be tax-deductible. Thank you for your support!

Save the date! A Flattop Home for the Holidays

Saturday, December 5
10 am – 4 pm

Save the date for this new event that will feature the Flattop House decorated for the holidays circa 1945. Visitors will have access to the museum and the Flattop House and enjoy special activities and holiday-themed refreshments. Tickets will go on sale November 1.

Changes to CMOR’s Membership Program

After more than a decade without any changes, we’re excited to offer an updated membership program on May 1, 2026 that streamlines our offerings, retires a few seldom-used levels, and brings our program in line with today’s best practices.

Memberships purchased before May 1, 2026 are valid until they expire. When they expire, you will be invited to join at one of our new levels.

Visit our membership page for more information about the many benefits of a CMOR membership!

FY27 TAC Grants Announced

The Children’s Museum has received two competitive grants from the Tennessee Arts Commission (TAC) effective July 1: an Arts Education Project Support grant for $7,400 that will support an art camp for at-risk children, and a Partnership Support grant of $36,250 for operating support.

About 80% of TAC’s grant funding comes from the Tennessee Specialty License Plate program. You can purchase a specialty plate at any time. Learn more here.

Admission Price Changes 

Effective January 2, the Children’s Museum will implement two updates to its admission prices. Free admission will now apply to children age 1 and younger, and the Highland View Neighborhood Free Admission program will be discontinued. Highland View residents who receive SNAP benefits will continue to receive free admission through the Museums for All program. Thank you for your support as the Children’s Museum navigates significantly rising operating costs.