Where Every Bite Refuels Discovery

Sign for Playground Café with tagline 'Where Every Bite Refuels Discovery', featuring pastel-colored text and coffee icons on a dark background.

Take a break and recharge for your next big adventure! Playgrounds Café is your dedicated fueling station, designed to keep explorers of all ages ready to learn. Whether you’re a parent in need of a high-quality caffeine boost or a junior scientist ready for a healthy lunch, our menu is built to satisfy.

Local Flavors, Fresh Choices We are proud to partner with our neighbors to bring you the best of Salem:

  • Caffeine Kick: Enjoy specialty coffee roasted by Odolla Coffee Roasters.

  • Fresh & Fast: Grab-and-go meals and snacks provided by Isaac’s Room, perfect for a nutritious mid-play refuel.

From fresh salads and hearty sandwiches to allergen-friendly snacks, we provide the nourishment needed to power through a full day of play. This is a space where our community of caregivers can connect and catch their breath while children enjoy making their own healthy choices.

Hours: Wednesday – Sunday | 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Location: Inside the museum near the Erector Set Maze

Menu board listing hot drinks with prices for 8oz, 12oz, and 16oz sizes, including espresso, americano, smith tea, cocoa, cappuccino, latte, mocha, chai, and matcha, with a sketch of a to-go coffee cup in the bottom right corner.
A menu titled 'Cold Drinks' listing various beverages with prices for 12oz, 16oz, and 20oz sizes, on a purple background with a drawing of a cold drink with a straw in the bottom right corner.
Lactose-free and plant-based drink options, along with various flavor add-ons and soda fountain choices, on a menu with a purple background and illustrated coffee beans.
A woman and young girl sharing drinks outside a pastel purple building with a menu board in the background.
A young boy with short hair wearing sunglasses and a colorful, tropical print shirt is drinking a red slushie through a straw, standing in front of a purple wall with a sign that reads 'GROUNDS CAFE'.
Young girl with dark hair drinking a red beverage through a straw outdoors.
Three children sitting on a green park bench against a green wooden wall, with the boy in the middle drinking from a clear cup and the girls on either side looking at him.
A young girl and boy sitting on a black metal bench outside a pink and purple building. They are smiling and clinking red drinks with straws in a toast. The girl has blonde hair, a blue long-sleeve top, and a matching blue skirt. The boy has short hair, sunglasses, a colorful tropical shirt, and navy pants.

History of the House

Little Gem Grocery Store (1925)

Originally located on the corner of Chemeketa and 17th Street, the Little Gem Grocery was a classic “mom and pop” neighborhood store — a single room lined with shelves, selling milk, bread, eggs, and canned goods to the surrounding community. In 1996, the Court-Chemeketa Historic Renewal, Inc. led the effort to rescue the building from demolition. It was moved to its current location and restored in 1998, with major funding from local businesses and residents. Today the Little Gem serves the museum as our new Playgrounds Café.