Step into Your Favorite Story: Exploring The Rabbit hOle

by Evy Bingle

Scholastic Kid Reporter Evy Bingle visits an exhibit at The Rabbit hOle
Scholastic Kid Reporter Evy Bingle visits an exhibit at The Rabbit hOle (photo courtesy of the author).

Have you ever wished you could walk into your favorite book? At The Rabbit hOle in Kansas City, Missouri, you can. 

 

The Rabbit hOle is the first museum in the United States that celebrates children’s literature in this way. It opened in March 2024 and spans three floors of a 100,000 square foot warehouse. I recently visited the museum, toured the exhibits, explored the bookstore, and interviewed Deb Pettid, one of the founders. 

 

Each exhibit is based on a real children’s book. Inside, visitors can ride the bus with Nana and CJ from Last Stop on Market Street, peek inside the quiet green room from Goodnight Moon and climb up to see Where the Sidewalk Ends. There is even a talking toilet from Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets. Giant storybook sets, characters popping out of walls, and climbable props; The Rabbit hOle is all about interactive literature. 

An exhibit from The Rabbit hOle in Kansas City, Missouri (photo courtesy of the author).

The idea for the museum started years ago. Founders Pettid and Pete Cowdin wanted to make a space that celebrates books in a new way. Pettid said, “Every single book represented was created by somebody who had a historical and cultural relevance in the world of children’s literature…encompassing every decade, multiple ways of thinking, and diversity of all ranges.” 

 

Rather than having a plaque or information board like a typical museum, The Rabbit hOle has copies of the book that inspired each exhibit. Visitors are encouraged to read the book while spending time experiencing the space. 

 

“We developed exhibits that create curiosity, engagement, tactile experiences…those are things that are going to make somebody want to read,” said Pettid. 

The Goodnight Moon exhibit (photo courtesy of the author).

The Rabbit hOle includes a Print Shop, Story Lab, Makerspace, Resource Library, and Discovery Gallery. These areas host writing labs, art workshops, author visits, and more. The connected bookstore provides extra revenue to help fund the museum. 

 

“The Rabbit hOle is a nonprofit. Our goal is to be self-sufficient,” Pettid explained. In the year since opening, more than 130,000 people from all 50 states have visited. International guests have come from Italy, Sweden, Germany, and Singapore. 

 

The team hopes kids and families will come back again and again. Each visit offers something new to discover. The Rabbit hOle is open to the public and welcomes school field trips. 

 

Whether you are a book lover or just curious, this museum shows that stories aren’t just for reading—they’re for exploring. 

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