Welcome!
At the Manitoba Children’s Museum, we exist to spark kids’ creative learning, so join ChooChoo, our resident mascot, for an inside look at all the fun, creative things happening at the museum.
Most Recent News:
Date: Wednesday, July 28
Time: 4:00 - 6:00PM
The HOT103 & QX104 Made in Manitoba Tour will be at the Manitoba Children’s Museum tomorrow for a pork barbeque courtesy of Manitoba Pork. Join us for a free meal and your chance to meet Chris Fantini and Kimberly Dawn from HOT103 and QX104!
While visiting, support the Under Construction Capital Campaign by making a donation at one of our on-site or phone-in pledge stations and you’ll be entered to win tickets to the See Ya Later, Alligator! Farewell Party on Friday, September 10!
See you tomorrow!
- ChooChoo, MCM’s Resident Mascot
Previous Blog Posts:
- ChooChoo's Blog: HOT103's Ace Burpee Live at the Children's Museum
- ChooChoo's Blog: TD Canada Trust Book Sale
- ChooChoo's Blog: HOT103 & QX104 Live at the Children's Museum
- ChooChoo's Blog: TD Canada Trust Book Sale
- ChooChoo's Blog: Spring Break Day #6
- ChooChoo's Blog: Spring Break Day #5
- ChooChoo's Blog: Spring Break Day #4
- ChooChoo's Blog: Spring Break Day #3
- ChooChoo's Blog: Spring Break Day #2
- ChooChoo's Blog: I'm going to be on TV!
Did You Know?
The following are some incredible facts about ChooChoo, our resident mascot!
- ChooChoo is a train conductor, and he’s responsible for running the 9161 steam engine in the museum’s All Aboard Gallery.
- ChooChoo has been getting out-and-about more than he did in the past. In 2009, he traded in his conductor suit for a mummy costume at our Halloween Howl, and more recently, he’s been spotted as Santa’s “Helper Elf” at several of our holiday events, like the Spaghetti Breakfast with Santa!
- ChooChoo has given out over 125,000 furry high-fives and hugs since 1999!
ChooChoo originally worked as a “Punkinhead” at Eaton’s before getting a new job at the Manitoba Children’s Museum. Are you a history buff? For more information on Eaton’s Punkinhead, please select from one of the following links:
- Eaton’s Santa Claus Parade. The CBC Digital Archives Website. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
- Punkinhead: Santa’s Very Special Little Bear. The Archives of Ontario.
From The World Encyclopedia of Christmas:
Inspired by the success of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer as an advertising tool for the Montgomery Ward department stores, the Canadian retailer Eaton’s was moved to develop its own Christmas creature, Punkinhead the Sad Little Bear who became one of Santa’s helpers. Punkinhead, with his distinctive orange hair, appeared first in Eaton’s 1948 Christmas parade and for the next decade could be found in a series of 13 promotional books and on many items such as pyjamas, records, children’s furniture and toys. He was also popular with Canadian children in the form of a teddy-bear.
Punkinhead was the creation of animation legend Charlie Thorson (1890-1966) who had helped develop Snow White for Walt Disney, Bugs Bunny for Warner Brothers and Elmer the Safety Elephant for the Toronto police department.
- Gerry Bowler, The World Encyclopedia of Christmas (McClelland & Stewart, 2004)
