Countdown to Noon

Anyone who says New Years Eve is a holiday just for grown-ups has never celebrated at The Curiosity Place. This year, we’re inviting everyone to our new location in the Grand Traverse Mall where we’ll drop our own version of “the Ball” and say an early “hello” to 2026!

Our doors will open at 10am to give everyone enough time to get their wiggles out in the galleries and craft their party accessories. The Countdown will begin at–you guessed it–12pm sharp. Following the ball drop, partygoers will have some time to finish up their crafts before saying good-bye at 12:30pm.

We’re calling this a “fun-raiser” because, unlike adult-focused events designed to benefit the Museum, the whole family is invited to attend. This means that tickets for Countdown to Noon have special pricing and come with extra special goodies.

Admission for children over 12 months are $13 for members, $15 for nonmembers. This includes museum admission as well as a GLCM Countdown Kit stuffed with a fabulous party hat and New Year’s crafts that children can choose to create at the Museum or at home. Of course, we want grown-ups and infants to party too. Adult admission is just $3 for members and $5 for nonmembers; children under 1 still get in free. All proceeds from this event go towards making Curiosity Place the best place to play in 2026!

So join us December 31 from 10:00am to 12:30pm as we celebrate 2025 and look forward to everything next year has to offer!

A big thank you to our event sponsor, Michigan State Federal Credit Union, for making this event possible!

You may also like the following events from Great Lakes Children's Museum:

• This Wednesday, 10th December, 10:00 am, Neighborhood Playgroup in Traverse City
• This Friday, 12th December, 05:00 pm, Challenge Island Kid's Night Out! -North Pole Express Challenges in Traverse City

Also check out other Workshops in Traverse City, Nonprofit events in Traverse City.