'DOC MCSTUFFINS: THE EXHIBIT' TO OPEN AT THE WORLD'S LARGEST CHILDREN'S MUSEUM

First-Ever Museum Exhibit Based on Peabody Award-Winning Series

Disney Junior is bringing its popular "Doc McStuffins" storytelling to communities in a first-ever touring museum exhibit based on the Peabody Award-winning television series. "Doc McStuffins: The Exhibit" opens at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis on SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, and will travel to other museums around the country in 2017. The exhibit is designed to model "care and compassion" for kids age 2-7 in immersive activities that reinforce the importance of health and well-being.

Nancy Kanter, executive vice president and general manager, Disney Junior, said, "Doc McStuffins has already made a tremendous impact on how children see themselves and their possibilities by way of our popular TV series." She continued, "We are delighted to now bring the show's messages of care and compassion directly into communities across the country and we know we are in excellent hands with The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. We look forward to having young visitors experience Doc's playhouse clinic and toy hospital and learn firsthand about caring for themselves and for others."

The bilingual (English/Spanish) interactive exhibit will transport kids and families into Doc's iconic backyard clinic and the McStuffins Toy Hospital. There, young visitors go on a "feel better adventure" as they become "doctors in training," don a white coat and toy stethoscope, "scrub in" (learning the importance of washing hands to avoid germs), report to an "operating room" where they can fix seams on a toy bear, assist in an "operation" on a toy dragon robot, and use Doc's tools including a toy otoscope, stethoscope, thermometer and blood pressure cuff to give a checkup to their own toys.

The exhibit is sponsored by Riley Children's Health at Indiana University Health, home to one of the nation's leading children's hospitals. The exhibit provides an opportunity for children to become comfortable in a healthcare setting.

"It is a heavy order to convince children that going to see the doctor is not scary," said Dr. Paul Haut, chief medical officer of Riley Children's Health. "But it can be done through educational and interactive experiences, which help them understand that what we do is help keep people healthy. By teaching visitors about healthy habits, such as practicing good hand hygiene, exercising regularly and eating well, we hope this exhibit will put children's minds at ease, while supporting our mission to keep all Hoosier children healthy."

"Doc McStuffins serves as a great role model to children and adults, encouraging them to explore the importance of taking care of their own bodies as well as caring for others," said Dr. Jeffrey H. Patchen, president and CEO, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. "Through imaginative play, we hope our visitors will learn more about health, science, and medicine, and discover that children can be anything they want to be when they grow up."

Created and executive produced by Chris Nee, Disney Junior's Peabody Award-winning "Doc McStuffins" is an imaginative animated series about a six-year-old girl who communicates with and heals stuffed animals and broken toys out of her backyard playhouse clinic and in the magical McStuffins Toy Hospital. The series has been lauded globally for its modeling of good health practices and imparting to young viewers the importance of taking care of oneself and others. Shortly after the series' premiere, a group of female African American physicians were inspired to begin a "movement" they coined "We Are Doc McStuffins," which grew into the Artemis Medical Society, an organization that now boasts a membership of over 4700 women physicians of color from around the world.

Since launching in 2012, "Doc McStuffins" has consistently been a Top 10 preschool cable TV series in key demographics, reaching 70% of Disney Channel's and Disney Junior's available Kids 2-5. "Doc McStuffins" also averages 16 million views each quarter on the Disney Junior app, VOD and HULU. In the past year, "Doc McStuffins" has been ordered over 20 million times via set-top-box VOD.

About Disney Junior

Disney Junior reflects the emotional connection generations of consumers have to Disney storytelling and Disney characters, both classic and contemporary. It invites mom and dad to join their child in the Disney experience of magical, musical and heartfelt stories and characters, while incorporating specific learning and development themes designed for kids age 2-7. Disney Junior's series blend Disney's unparalleled storytelling and characters kids love deeply with learning, including early math, language skills, healthy eating and lifestyles, and social skills. In the U.S., Disney Junior is a daily programming block on Disney Channel in 92 million homes and a 24-hour channel reaching over 73 million U.S. homes. In total, there are 35 Disney Junior channels in 27 languages around the world.

About Riley Children's at Indiana University Health

Riley Children's Health is Indiana's only full service statewide pediatric health system. Riley Children's Health offers complete, comprehensive pediatric care ranging from routine primary care checkups to the most complex acute care needs from highly skilled pediatric specialists. The system connects patients with 200 primary care and 400 specialty care physicians in 19 communities across the state of Indiana. Riley Physicians treat patients in their home communities, bringing top-notch care close to home. This statewide network is an extension of Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health, one of the nation's leading children's hospitals. To learn more, visit www.rileychildrens.org, and follow us on Facebook (@RileyChildrensHealth), Twitter (@RileyChildrens), and YouTube.

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is a nonprofit institution committed to creating extraordinary learning experiences across the arts, sciences, and humanities that have the power to transform the lives of children and families. For more information about The Children's Museum, visit www.childrensmuseum.org, follow us on Twitter @TCMIndy, Facebook.com/childrensmuseum and YouTube.