Walker's Imaginarium: Redefining the child healthcare experience.
Envisioned in partnership with
Kids Join The Fight and in loving memory of Walker Beery, Walker's Imaginarium is a 15,000
square foot child enrichment center that will offer an innovative environment
for patients and families to enjoy time together while in the hospital.
A first-of-its kind program, the project will provide a healing and engaging
space for patients to thrive and find joy, located on the main campus
of Manning Family Children's.
Walker's Imaginarium is a gift for the children of our community from our community, made possible entirely through philanthropic support. Under construction now and opening in the fall of 2026, Walker's Imaginarium has been designed with features for children of all ages and abilities to enjoy, along with their families. A wide range of interactive child-friendly exhibits have been expertly designed to appeal to different age groups, including toddlers, school-age children, teens and adolescents. Patients and their families will have endless opportunities to play, explore, discover, imagine, and just be kids!
Our why
Being in a hospital setting can be scary for any child. At Manning Family Children's, we believe that children learn and cope through play, and we aim to provide an experience where kids staying in the hospital can do just that. Children with an emotional safe space have more positive healthcare experiences, allowing them to receive care that is centered around the child.
Child enrichment has proven to lead to improved quality, outcomes, and patient and family experiences. We know that families also need a space to be together while experiencing a hospital stay. A long hospital stay can be hard on parents and siblings, and something as simple as a walk outside or place to step away and can provide a tremendous amount of respite. Walker's Imaginarium will optimize the patient's ability to cope while navigating their healthcare experience and will help create joyful moments for children and their families.
Honoring the life and legacy of Walker Beery
At the age of seven, Walker Beery was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive pediatric brain cancer, medulloblastoma. Throughout surgeries, hospital stays, and multiple radiation and chemotherapy treatments, Walker’s courage and gratitude amazed his family, his medical community, and all who encountered him during the fight for his life. A gift of a teddy bear from a fellow cancer patient given to comfort Walker in the hospital made Walker’s "nose burn". When Walker would tell his father that his “nose burns” it was their code for happy tears. The overwhelming feeling of this small gift from someone living a similar experience encouraged Walker to want to give back to others as well.
Walker’s relentless desire to replicate that “nose burning” feeling by helping other children battling cancer inspired Kids Join the Fight, a movement to tap into the superpowers of children and empower them to raise money to help other kids fighting pediatric cancer. The money raised by Kids Join the Fight funds global research for pediatric cancer and provides local support services and care so desperately needed by pediatric cancer patients and their families, like Walker's Imaginarium, all while teaching the next generation of fundraisers the feeling of gratitude associated with giving back to their communities.
Learn more about the vision for Walker's Imaginarium >>
Walker's Imaginarium Vision & Design
Walker’s Imaginarium will feature two floors filled with interactive, kid-friendly exhibits, including an immersive Funky Forest, Dance Stage and Music Center, a Seacrest Studios, a Percussion Tree, Porch Life Zone, Accessible Swing powered by an interactive Mariposa Butterfly, Airboat Adventure, a Sports Zone complete with oversized games and a mini football field, a Putt Putt Parishes nine-hole mini golf course, a dedicated classroom, and a Krewe of Walker Float exhibit, designed by Kern Studios. In celebration of Louisiana’s vibrant culture, the Imaginarium will also incorporate local art and themes into its design.
The project is designed by New Orleans-based architecture firm, EskewDumezRipple+, with exhibit design by Gyroscope, a California-based firm that is expert in developing children’s museums and enrichment spaces across the country. Exhibits will be fabricated by local firm, Solomon Group, and the building will be constructed by Lemoine.
See the final renderings and take a virtual tour of Walker's Imaginarium >>
Help support Walker's Imaginarium:
There are still opportunities to join the fight, and help support this extraordinary vision! We would love for you to get in touch with our team to learn more about giving levels, remaining naming opportunities, and programmatic support for Walker's Imaginarium.
Please contact: Kristen Robinson, Vice President of Marketing and Institutional Advancement at Kristen.robinson@lcmchealth.org or 504.896.9375.