Día de Muertos Arrives at Above & Beyond Children’s Museum

Photo credit: Hanna Agar

Make a colorful day trip to Sheboygan for hands-on art, culture, and memory-making. Above & Beyond Children’s Museum is welcoming Mexican artist Gabriela Marván for a special Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) weekend filled with family workshops and a live ofrenda-building demonstration—plus a first look at the museum’s next Community Culture Exchange exhibit highlighting Mexican heritage.

Quick Details

• Where: Above & Beyond Children’s Museum, 902 N. 8th St., Sheboygan, WI

• When:

  • Saturday, Oct. 25 — Día de Muertos Workshops: 10–11 a.m. and 2–3 p.m.

  • Sunday, Oct. 26 — Ofrenda Building Demonstration: 9:30 a.m.–2 p.m. (drop in anytime)

• Admission: General admission applies ($10); memberships available starting at $30

• Hours: Tue–Sat 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; Sun 9 a.m.–3 p.m.

• More info: abkids.org

What’s Happening

Saturday, Oct. 25 — Family Art Workshops

Create paper marigolds (the flower of remembrance) and papel picado (traditional cut-paper flags) alongside artist Gabriela Marván of the Mexican Folk Art Collective. Your family’s creations will help decorate a community ofrenda—a beautiful altar honoring loved ones who have passed. Workshops run 10–11 a.m. and 2–3 p.m. and are included with general admission.

Sunday, Oct. 26 — Ofrenda Building (Drop-In)

Stop by anytime 9:30 a.m.–2 p.m. to watch (and help) as a traditional ofrenda takes shape inside the exhibit space. No registration required; included with admission.

Why This Is Cool for Kids

• Hands-on culture: Kids get to build, cut, paste, and arrange—while learning the meaning behind alebrijes, ofrendas, and papel picado.

• Community art: Your family’s pieces become part of a shared altar—an inviting way to talk about remembrance and tradition.

• Preview a major exhibit: These activities are the first chapter of a refreshed, multi-year Community Culture Exchange exploring Mexican folk traditions with Marván and the Mexican Folk Art Collective. The new installation will feature two monumental paper-mâché alebrijes, a seasonal ofrenda, and rotating programming over the next three years.

Plan Your Visit

• Timing: If you’re coming from Milwaukee’s North Shore, plan about 1–1.5 hours to Sheboygan. Pair the museum with lunch downtown or a lakeshore stroll for a full day out.

• Ages: All ages are welcome; activities are designed with kids and families in mind.

• Tickets & entry: Workshops and the Sunday demo are included with general admission; no special registration noted.

• Accessibility: Drop-in format on Sunday makes it easy to fit around naps and sports schedules.

About the Artist & Exhibit

Gabriela Marván is a Wisconsin-based Mexican artist and cartonería (traditional paper-mâché) specialist from Viroqua and the founder of the Mexican Folk Art Collective. She’s partnering with Above & Beyond to co-curate programming and build out the museum’s next Community Culture Exchange exhibit, which will explore alebrijes, Aztec dance, bilingual storytimes, lotería, and more over multiple years.

Supporters: Wisconsin Arts Board, Hoke Family Foundation, and the West Foundation, Inc.

Know Before You Go

• Address: 902 N. 8th St., Sheboygan, WI 53081

• Hours: Tue–Sat 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; Sun 9 a.m.–3 p.m.

• Admission: $10 (memberships from $30)

• Website: https://www.abkids.org

• Social: Instagram @aboveandbeyondsheb | Facebook AboveBeyondSheboygan

• Photo credit: Above & Beyond Children’s Museum

Details can change—check the museum’s site or social channels before you go.