Boonshoft Museum of Discovery Unveils Ice-Age-Inspired Play Zone

Dayton’s Boonshoft Museum of Discovery marked a new addition to its recently renovated Ice Age lobby Oct. 9, with the unveiling of a new, climbable play area for toddlers inspired by the landscapes of the Ice Age and called Stone’s Zone.

The play area is named in honor of Stone, a juvenile mastodon skull from the museum’s collection that was found at Carter Bog in Darke County, about 40 miles away, during the early 1970s. The Ice Age lobby features life-size and incredibly lifelike re-creations of Stone and his mother, Feather, that were unveiled earlier this year.  

“Stone has quickly become a favorite with our visitors, so it seemed only fitting that our youngest guests should have a place where they can explore right alongside him,” Tracey Tomme, president and CEO of the Dayton Society of Natural History, said in an Oct. 7 press release. “Stone’s Zone is fun and playful, but it is also part of a much larger story we are telling about the forces that shaped this region and the water that continues to connect all of us today.”

The unveiling of Stone’s Zone also marked the beginning of the public phase of the museum’s $10.5 million capital campaign, titled ”A River Runs Through Us.” The museum has already raised more than 80% of its overall goal through private donations.

The changes at the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, including Stone’s Zone, aim to tell the story of the Miami Valley’s natural history. Future renovations include a new water table and a treehouse climbing structure.

“Every part of this project is about building on what people already love about the Boonshoft,” Tomme said in the press release. “We’re preserving that sense of discovery while creating experiences that are fresh, relevant and built to serve families for many years to come.”

The final phase of renovations is set to happen in August 2027, with the museum closing for roughly five to six weeks to complete major installation work.

For more information visit boonshoft.org.

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