The Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo

Founded in 1962, the Friends are a nonprofit volunteer organization dedicated to supporting and enhancing the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo.

The Friends work closely with the City of Palo Alto to provide a fun and creative environment for kids to learn about science.

Our efforts focus on supporting interactive museum exhibits, providing free educational classes to low-income school-aged children, and improving zoo and museum facilities.

Board Members:

• Aletha Coleman, President
• Chris Skarakis, Vice President
• Scott Taylor, Treasurer
• Annette Bialson, Secretary
• Wendy Dransfield
• Julia Keady
• Marshall Koch
• Cynthia Neuwalder
• Roxy Rapp
• Steve Reller
• Matt Robinson
• Tim Stitt
• David Wright

Staff:

• Tayyeba Rizvi, Office Manager
• Courtney Luxon, Development Assistant
• Trudi Wallick-Horrocks, Friends Ambassador

Finances

The Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo (Federal ID #77-0296155) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Membership and annual giving contributions are tax-deductible. All donor information is private and never shared with other groups. Donors may request that donations be listed as Anonymous.

Click here for our FY09 Financial Statements ending June 30, 2009.

Click here for our FY08 Financial Statements ending June 30, 2008.

History

• 1934 - The Junior Museum was founded by Josephine O'Hara in 1934 in the basement of a local elementary school. It was the first children's museum west of the Mississippi.
• 1962 - Community volunteers formed the "Associates of the Palo Alto Junior Museum" to support the exhibits of the museum.
• 1969 - The Museum added a Zoo in 1969 with a small selection of mostly indigenous wildlife.
• 1990 - The Associates re-organized and created the non-profit 501(c)(3) "Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo" (Federal ID #77-0296155) to support the programs and services of the JMZ.