KidsQuest Children’s Museum has secured $10 million in city funding to support its planned relocation to the former Bellevue Arts Museum building, marking a major step toward establishing a larger permanent home in downtown Bellevue.
Bellevue City Manager Diane Carlson announced that the city has reached a council-approved funding agreement with KidsQuest, providing the museum with financial support to renovate and build out its future space. The funding will help transform the former Bellevue Arts Museum (BAM) building into a new home for the children’s museum, which plans to open there in mid-2029.
“Having this larger facility will certainly allow KidsQuest to serve more people, more families, more children, and increase public access to arts and sciences,” Carlson said.
KidsQuest will continue operating from its current location on 108th Avenue Northeast, while preparing for the transition. Once complete, the expanded downtown museum is expected to welcome more than 350,000 visitors annually.
Located along Bellevue’s Grand Connection and near The Bellevue Collection, the new site is expected to significantly expand KidsQuest’s ability to offer STEAM-focused programming—science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. This will also increase accessibility for families across the Eastside.
The move follows KidsQuest’s October 2025 agreement to purchase the Bellevue Arts Museum building for $5 million. At the time, museum leadership estimated that an additional $5 million to $10 million would be needed to bring the 36,000-square-foot building up to code and complete tenant improvements.
The agreement also signals a transition for Bellevue Arts Museum, which will vacate the building in late 2026. While BAM will no longer operate from its longtime downtown location, the organization plans to continue managing the Bellevue Arts Fair, one of Washington’s largest arts events, while developing an emerging artist program and seeking a new home for its collection, art library, and community programming.
“The city is excited to see that the proposed purchase by KidsQuest keeps the Bellevue Arts Museum property on a path to continue as a facility benefitting the public in the heart of downtown,” Carlson said. “We’re especially pleased to see KidsQuest’s commitment as a place where arts and science collide as well as BAM’s intent to continue the Bellevue Arts Fair and arts programming in the community. This purchase agreement retains the building’s artistic roots and fosters our community’s creative future.”
Bellevue Arts Museum closed to the public in September 2024 following ongoing financial challenges. Like many museums across the country, BAM faced sustained revenue losses tied to decreased attendance, fundraising, and retail sales in the years following the pandemic. Despite efforts to stabilize operations, the institution was unable to continue programming in its existing form.
The planned transition allows BAM to address outstanding financial obligations and begin rebuilding its nonprofit foundation, while giving KidsQuest the opportunity to grow into a larger, more centrally located space.
For Bellevue, the agreement ensures that one of downtown’s most recognizable cultural buildings will remain dedicated to public use, shifting from a contemporary art museum to an interactive educational space.
