"NorthStar Museums is being launched in recognition of the unique requirements of children's museums," says Ronald A. Street, principal of NorthStar Advisors, LLC. "It takes a special level of expertise to get a children's museum built or refreshed. Unlike other types of museums, children's museums are designed from the inside out. It is the experience--and not the museum design--that takes center stage."

The NorthStar team has a great deal of experience in the development of children's museums. Last year, it concluded one of the country's largest children's museum projects: Please Touch Museum. The 11-year, $88-million project involved the relocation of the popular Philadelphia children's museum to the 157,000-square-foot, historically-certified Memorial Hall site that required extensive renovations. In its first year, the museum had 687,000 visitors--more than triple its attendance at its previous location.

NorthStar Museums' first children's museum design project is the Delaware Children's Museum. Located in Wilmington, DE, the $11-million museum--Delaware's first children's museum--opened in late April. "The Please Touch Museum project demonstrated for us how crucial it was to have partners who understand the unique challenges of bringing a children's museum to life," says Julie Van Blarcom, CEO of the Delaware Children's Museum. "The journey of getting a children's museum built or renovated requires a highly specialized process that focuses on the needs of children and their parents, teachers and caregivers."