A new destination built around childhood curiosity, creativity and learning is taking shape in Winter Garden — and for families in Horizon West and throughout West Orange County, it could become one of the most meaningful additions our community has seen in years.
I AM Children’s Museum, a vision and mission of Winter Garden-based nonprofit 8 Waves, is planned for 971 E. Plant Street in Winter Garden. The hands-on children’s museum will combine creative arts, literacy, imaginative play, real-world experiences and outdoor exploration to help children discover their interests, build confidence and begin imagining what is possible for their futures.
But this is bigger than adding another place for families to spend an afternoon.
For Austin Arthur, Chair of the I AM Children’s Museum Executive Committee, the opportunity is about creating something West Orange families can truly call their own.
“Our region, especially here in West Orange, is filled with young families, and yet we don’t have a dedicated children’s museum our families can call their own,” Arthur told Horizon West Happenings. “I AM Children’s Museum would give children a place to create, connect, discover and solve through hands-on experiences, while also connecting them with nature and our community.”
And for a community like Horizon West — where so many families are raising young children — that hits especially close to home.
What Is I AM Children’s Museum?
I AM Children’s Museum is being designed as a hands-on learning destination where children don’t simply walk through and look at exhibits.
They participate.
They build.
They create.
They solve problems.
They play different roles.
They explore nature.
And along the way, they begin discovering what they enjoy and what they are capable of doing.
The museum’s guiding philosophy is captured in three simple statements:
“I Am Capable. I Am Ready. I Am.”
Current plans include approximately 20,000 square feet of indoor museum experiences, 12,000 square feet of outdoor eco-educational experiences, a 2,700-square-foot historic home welcome center and more than two miles of Discovery Trails connecting directly to the West Orange Trail.
Altogether, the 2.57-acre campus will include approximately 35,000 square feet of museum experiences alongside its extensive trail system.
Children will be able to explore environments centered around creative arts, literacy, science, nature and real-world problem solving. Current concepts invite children to do things like create art, sew and sculpt, operate a café, care for a patient, fly a plane, build structures and work through challenges.
Outside, the experience continues through nature-based play and exploration.
That combination is an important part of the vision.
Arthur said the museum is being intentionally designed to complement the character of West Orange rather than simply placing another large attraction within it.
“This is a project designed with our families in mind, incorporating our natural environment through tremendous outdoor educational experiences, nearly two miles of Discovery Trails, and direct connectivity to the West Orange Trail,” Arthur said. “It gives our children a place to explore, learn, make memories and discover things about themselves they may not have discovered anywhere else.”
The Local Nonprofit Behind the Museum: 8 Waves
To understand why I AM Children’s Museum is being created, it helps to understand 8 Waves.
Founded by Sara Meyer, 8 Waves is a Winter Garden-based nonprofit working with students facing barriers throughout Orange County, Lake County and Central Florida.
The organization grew from Meyer’s work with children in the East Winter Garden community and a desire to provide students with greater access to educational support, mentorship and opportunity.
Today, 8 Waves focuses on four primary areas:
- Education Recovery, including literacy support, tutoring and mentoring
- Wrap-Around Care, including meals, mentorship, hygiene resources and social-emotional support
- Life Experiences, giving students exposure to new environments and opportunities
- Career Pathways, helping students develop practical skills and explore possible futures
That existing work with children is an important part of what makes the I AM Children’s Museum different.
The museum is not being developed by an organization trying to determine what children need from scratch. It grows out of years of direct work with local students and families.
In 2025 alone, 8 Waves reported impacting 2,000 students, providing 26,000 meals and distributing 15,000 hygiene kits.
The children’s museum takes that mission of helping young people discover their potential and creates a place where families from across the entire community can experience it together.
Why Build a Children’s Museum in West Orange County?
Central Florida has no shortage of things to do with kids.
But a locally rooted children’s museum serves a very different purpose than a theme park or traditional attraction.
It becomes part of childhood in a community.
Families return throughout different stages of their children’s lives. Schools can use it as an educational resource. Local organizations can create programming around it. Children can discover an interest during one visit that grows into something much bigger years later.
Arthur believes West Orange is particularly well positioned for that kind of investment.
“With the property secured in partnership with the City of Winter Garden, I really believe we have an extraordinary opportunity to create something special right here at home.”
Location plays a major role.
The future museum site is directly connected to the West Orange Trail and is positioned near Downtown Winter Garden, SR 429, Highway 50 and Florida’s Turnpike.
For Horizon West families, that means having a major educational and cultural destination much closer to home.
And Arthur sees another important piece to the story: tourism dollars returning to the western side of Orange County.
“West Orange is significantly impacted by the visitors who come to our region, but we don’t often see TDT investments directly benefiting the west side of the county,” Arthur said. “It would be wonderful to see some of those resources return to our community through a lasting asset that our own children and families can enjoy for generations.”
I AM Children’s Museum Moves Forward in Orange County TDT Funding Process
The project reached another important milestone following the Orange County Board of County Commissioners meeting on August 25.
According to Arthur, the I AM Children’s Museum remains active in the county’s Tourist Development Tax funding process. Commissioners have now asked county staff to conduct additional analysis of the projects under consideration, including more detailed information and potential funding schedules and frameworks.
“We moved forward still in the process,” Arthur told Horizon West Happenings. “They have requested staff to do further analysis of the projects, including more detail, detailed potential funding schedules/frameworks.”
While no final funding award has been made, Arthur said the project is getting increasingly close to the possibility of receiving significant TDT investment.
“We are getting very close to the potential of large TDT funding,” Arthur said.
For West Orange residents, that possibility carries additional significance.
Tourism plays an enormous role in Orange County, and communities on the west side of the county experience many of its impacts firsthand. Arthur has repeatedly emphasized that TDT investment in the I AM Children’s Museum would create a lasting community asset for the families who live here.
“It would be great to get TDT investment here on the west side where our residents are so affected by tourism,” Arthur said.
The next step is additional county staff analysis before the Board of County Commissioners determines how available TDT funding could ultimately be allocated among the projects still under consideration.
Earlier in the process, Arthur also emphasized that public support could make a meaningful difference.
“If you believe Orange County should have a dedicated children’s museum and want to see this become a reality, please reach out to your County Commissioner and let them know,” Arthur said. “Commissioners hearing directly from the families and residents they represent can make a meaningful difference.”
Hundreds of West Orange Residents Are Already Getting Involved
One thing has become increasingly clear as plans have moved forward: this is not a project being developed behind closed doors.
The I AM Children’s Museum Executive Committee includes approximately 20 professionals and community leaders volunteering their expertise to help guide the project.
The broader effort also includes task forces, volunteers, residents and community stakeholders contributing their time and experience.
Arthur said the level of local participation has been one of the most encouraging parts of the process.
“What has stood out to me most is just how broad the community support has become,” he said. “Our Executive Committee itself is made up of approximately 20 local professionals and community leaders who have volunteered their expertise to help guide this project, but that is only one piece of it.”
And that support is not simply symbolic.
When supporters recently were encouraged to contact Orange County leaders regarding the museum, Arthur said more than 200 people sent emails directly to the Orange County Mayor and County Commissioners.
“We were copied on those messages, so we have literally watched that support come in firsthand,” Arthur said. “When you add all of this together, there are truly hundreds of local stakeholders already engaged in this project. That kind of grassroots ownership and enthusiasm has been incredibly encouraging.”
That local ownership has been part of the museum’s philosophy since its earliest planning.
Families, educators, caregivers and other residents have been invited to provide feedback about the experiences they want to see created for local children.
Because ultimately, a community children’s museum needs to reflect the community surrounding it.
What I AM Children’s Museum Could Mean for Horizon West
For families in Horizon West, this project feels particularly significant.
Our community is filled with young families looking for meaningful things to do with children — experiences that entertain them but also give them opportunities to learn, explore and connect.
I AM Children’s Museum could provide exactly that within West Orange County.
It could become a destination for:
- family outings and rainy days
- school field trips
- homeschool enrichment
- literacy activities
- creative arts experiences
- STEM and problem-solving activities
- nature exploration
- grandparents spending the day with grandchildren
- community programs and partnerships
- children discovering interests and careers they had never considered
But its impact could reach beyond individual family outings.
Horizon West, Winter Garden, East Winter Garden, Oakland, Ocoee and Windermere are distinct communities, but the children growing up throughout West Orange benefit from many of the same things: access to opportunity, creative experiences, strong literacy skills, exposure to new ideas and adults who encourage them to believe in themselves.
A shared children’s museum creates another place where those communities can come together.
Growth That Gives Something Back to the Community
Arthur also believes I AM Children’s Museum represents something particularly important at this moment in West Orange County’s growth.
Anyone who has lived here for more than a few years knows the conversation.
Our communities have grown quickly.
New homes, roads, schools and commercial developments continue to change the landscape, and residents are increasingly asking a fair question:
What are we building that improves life for the people already here?
Arthur believes the museum can be one answer.
“Residents of West Orange have understandably grown weary of growth that happens in the wrong place, at the wrong time, or without enough consideration for the people already living here,” he told HWH. “I AM Children’s Museum is something very different.”
Instead, he sees it as an investment in the families growing alongside the community.
It is designed around children, education, outdoor space and the character of West Orange itself.
A Place Future Generations May Take for Granted — In the Best Way
Perhaps Arthur’s strongest vision for I AM Children’s Museum has less to do with square footage, exhibits or funding.
It is about what happens after the museum is no longer new.
When asked what he hopes its impact will be five or 10 years from now, his answer was simple:
“My hope is that someday our children won’t remember a West Orange County without I AM Children’s Museum.”
That may be the best way to understand the bigger goal.
The hope is not simply to build an attraction.
It is to build something that becomes part of growing up in West Orange County.
A place where a preschooler creates something and proudly takes it home.
Where an elementary school student discovers they love engineering.
Where another child picks up a book they would have otherwise passed by.
Where families make memories.
Where kids can explore who they are before anyone tells them who they should become.
And where the children growing up in Horizon West, Winter Garden and throughout West Orange have one more community resource reminding them:
I Am Capable. I Am Ready. I Am.
“If we do this right,” Arthur said, “I believe we can create something that complements what makes West Orange special and that our community will be proud of for generations.”
I AM Children’s Museum: What Families Need to Know
Location: 971 E. Plant Street, Winter Garden, FL
Organization: A vision and mission of 8 Waves
Museum Site: 2.57 acres
Indoor Museum Experience: Approximately 20,000 square feet
Outdoor Eco-Educational Experience: Approximately 12,000 square feet
Historic Home Welcome Center: Approximately 2,700 square feet
Discovery Trails: More than two miles with direct West Orange Trail connectivity
Projected Opening: 2028
Focus: Creative arts, literacy, hands-on learning, nature, imagination and exploration
Families can learn more, view concept renderings and follow project updates through the I AM Children’s Museum Community Information Hub.
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