For several years, children have been able to experience a grocery store at their level. Whether pretending to be a shopper or a cashier, kids can create their own story at the Macey’s Grocery Store Exhibit in the Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum. Recently, this popular exhibit was expanded to include an interactive Associated Food Stores’ semi-truck to give young visitors an even bigger view of the grocery industry.
On Saturday, May 3, Steve Miner, vice president of store development at AFS, and Kathleen Bodenlos, CEO of Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum, cut the ribbon and officially unveiled the handcrafted, interactive model semi-truck.
The truck, which was created by Discovery Gateway’s in-house fabricator, is 15 feet long and seven feet tall and took over seven months and 1,000 hours to build. It features a shiny red cab where kids can sit in the driver’s seat, turn the steering wheel, flip on lights and use a pretend radio. The trailer offers even more hands-on fun. Kids can sort food by color, place items on rollers, push a pallet jack and stock grocery shelves—just like in a real store.
Steve encouraged guests to think about and support local, independent retailers when they see an AFS truck. “Our drivers are gladiators—delivering groceries in all types of weather. They drive over 15 million miles to supply over 480 stores.”
Transportation Coordinator Drew Wischerath, who attended the event, commented on the meaning of the exhibit: “We have over 200 drivers who are out making deliveries almost 24/7. This exhibit is a great representation of the grocery cycle, and I’m excited for kids to experience it.”
The exhibit was a hit from the moment the ribbon was cut. Children immediately climbed in and began playing—and the semi-truck continues to be a popular addition.
The new exhibit was also recently featured on Fox 13. View the coverage here.