El Paso Exploreum open for business, introduces new summer camps

By Lorain Watters

The El Paso Exploreum is up and running for summer, offering a variety of summer camps for children to stay active and learn a thing or two before going back to school.

Previously Lynx Exhibits, the Exploreum is a museum for children, a “living laboratory” with an airport room, simulators that children can ride, a high-tech room and a recording studio.

“There really isn’t anything like us in town. I’m a mom and I loved having places to take my kids too” Laurie Paternoster said, founder and president of the Exploreum. “We’re different because of our community being primarily Hispanic, and those families want to take everyone from grandpa to age two someplace together. While we are a children’s museum for ages 12 and below, we try to have activities for everyone else to enjoy. We promote family values and family togetherness by giving them a place to go at a reasonable cost.”

Camps include “Around the World in 5 Days,” “Super Simple Science,” “Engineer It!,” “Our Amazing Earth,” “Cowtown Western Camp,” and the “Harry Potter Camp.” Each camp is $100 and the “Super Simple Science” and “Engineer It!” camps are geared towards the STEM foundation that the museum has implemented. Along with the camp, children will also get to experience the museum for as long as they please until closing at 6 p.m.

Summer camps will run until mid-August with two sessions every day, from 9 to 12 p.m. and from 1 to 4 p.m.

Photographed by Laura Bustillos