We plan and design museums that champion the wonder and joy of childhood.
From future-forward vision plans… to adventurous exploratory experiences and restorative sensory environments... we are re-imagining what a museum can be: a place of deep connection, discovery, and delight.
We’re your steadfast, punk rock planning partner. We can help you with all the stuff no one wants to touch: Strategic and Operational Assessments; Pro-forma and Business Plan Creation; Board Mobilization Workshops; Project Timelines and Preliminary Cost Estimating (we’ve got a really good crystal ball)
We’re designers chasing AWE. We’re chasing that short intake of breath. That flicker of goosebumps. We’ll help you with: Museum Vision Planning; Exhibit Schematic and Design Development; Fundraising Presentations & Renderings; Technical Bid Set Drawings; Architectural Coordination; Fabrication and Installation Oversight; Post-Opening Operational Fine-Tuning
Our mission is to refuel people’s love for life.
We can help you be seriously playful.
We challenge assumptions to uncover deeper value.
We go beyond just meeting your expectations. Every reasonable professional can offer that. We dig deeper. We embrace the struggle required to re-frame important conversations, focusing urgency on ideas that were previously undiscussed or unidentified. By surfacing the conversations others avoid, we help you find gold where others won’t look.
To some, this challenger mindset can feel disruptive, but it’s how we uncover and reveal clarity, relevance, and long-term value.
We design for children AND the adults who care for them.
Children’s museums don’t exist for children alone. We intentionally design experiences that engage the whole family: children, caregivers, and everyone in between.
When adults also feel welcomed to play, recharge, and connect, visits last longer, experiences deepen, and families decide to return again and again!
Inter-generational engagement isn’t a bonus, it’s foundational.
Joy Park, Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus
We don’t just plan and design museums. We run one too.
Operating our own children’s museum in Denver, Colorado gives us firsthand insight into what it really takes to build, open, and sustain meaningful cultural spaces. We understand the pressures most museum teams face but few design consultants experience: funding puzzles, attendance forecasting, board dynamics, staffing models, safety and maintenance realities, and the long arc of guest experience.
That lived experience shapes every design decision we make and allows us to partner with you beyond opening day, through iteration, growth, and change.
We think “cute” is a 4-letter word.
There’s a huge difference between child-like and child-ish.
We reject “cute” as a default because we know that young minds thrive in complexity, beauty, challenge, and discovery.
Our work respects children as capable thinkers, creating layered experiences that invite risk, provoke curiosity, and leave lasting emotional impressions. Depth creates meaning… and meaning endures.
We integrate art, architecture, and exhibit from the start.
Most children’s museums view ART as a thing to be hung on the wall at the end of a project— if there’s still a budget. For us, there is no distinction between art, architecture, and exhibit. The exhibit experience IS the artful experience.
By weaving together educational principles, spatial design, and hands-on interaction, we create experiences that are cohesive, buildable, and deeply intentional.
Have you ever wondered…?
Pushing beyond the status quo can be scary. But you’re not alone. We can be your trusted ally to ask and find answers to tough questions.
In-Process Projects
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Multi-Year Museum Exhibit Plan
Port Discovery Children’s Museum | Baltimore, MD
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Earth Science Garden
Brooklyn Children’s Museum | Brooklyn, NY
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Wellspring
Conner Prairie | Fishers, IN
Who We Work With
Skyhouse Studio’s clients are organizations that value artistic engagement and meaningful play. These include museums, libraries, parks, and other education-oriented and community-oriented venues around the world.
Our work includes:
Cutting-edge projects for industry leaders who want to stay in the lead.
“Next-level” projects for small, up-and-comers who want to push into new territory.
Kid-friendly projects for organizations that serve families as a growing part of their customer-base.
Showcase projects for struggling organizations that need a big win to regain the confidence of their communities.
Aspirational projects for organizations that need to spice things up, offering more fun and thrill.
Meet Our Team
TRAIL NAVIGATOR
jonathan@skyhousestudio.org
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As a child, Jonathan accidentally built a 2-story treehouse surrounded by a thicket of poison ivy. Never deterred by a project’s audaciousness (or the limitations of his botanical knowledge), Jonathan’s designs conjure adventure and perceived risk—the stuff of childhood memories! Prior to studying architecture, Jonathan’s earlier career as a junior high school history teacher prepared him for what would be his quest: To awaken people’s senses and engage their innate curiosities. His choice to specialize in designing children’s museums is born from a desire to make special places for families to share uncommon, joyous experiences.
Jonathan Goldstein
ODDBALL VISIONARY
kyle@skyhousestudio.org
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Kyle is obsessed with designing complex three-dimensional labyrinths that challenge the mind and body. He uses cutting-edge parametric modeling software to sculpt weird, organic structures inspired by everything from a craggy mountainside to an osprey nest. Kyle sees the world as a complex, orderly whole, and his climber designs embody the harmony of natural and technological things. He is also a passionate educator who is an Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. In all his work, Kyle helps people cultivate a growth mindset and a heroic spirit through inquisitive play.
Kyle Talbott
IRREVERENT SAGE
mike@skyhousestudio.org
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Overseeing both Skyhouse Studio and The Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus, Mike applies his 20+ years in the museum field with great enthusiasm and expertise. Over his career, Mike has served in a number of capacities including Director of Education, Vice President of Guest Experience, and Chief Operating Officer. In each position he has been a significant catalyst for growth and innovation. Mike has chaired the board of the Denver Preschool Program and has served as board president for the Association of Children’s Museums, all while keeping things thoughtful, forward-looking, and just a little irreverent.