“Your capacity to coordinate all the many moving parts helped us move from a description of desired experiences to a ribbon cutting in less than 10 months.

Your expertise in designing, fabricating and installing age-appropriate exhibitions...and, finally, your beautiful (there is no better word) overall esthetic sense are what truly distinguishes Argyle.”

Van W. Shields
Director & CEO
Culture & Heritage Museums

Artwork by Vernon Grant served as the fundamental inspiration for the Museum, a 3,500 SF immersive space dedicated to imaginative play for early learners.

Opened December 2010.

Before: The nationally registered, historic bank building in in the fall of 2010. Its transformation into the Main Street Children’s Museum was a collaborative effort between Liollio Architecture, Julie Snow Architecture and ADI, and figured prominently in Rock Hill’s downtown revival initiative.

After: The same view in December 2010. The space unfolds as visitors move through a village, onto a ship or into a pumpkin. Throughout, there are surprise nooks and hide-outs.

The entryway, lobby and gift shop

The exhibit’s plan was conceived using contrasting geometries to create spaces that are both unexpected and dynamic. The overall effect is an environment that feels larger and more complex than such a relatively small area would typically seem.

Specialized lighting enhances the overall drama and animates the spaces, creating a strong initial “Wow-factor” and setting an overall mood of fantasy and intrigue. Environmental pieces engage and immerse children in imaginative play that is both personal and open-ended.

The existing bank vault was preserved and converted into an area for costume play. The mezzanine above is screened by the whimsical Toy Fair Castle facade.