It's not a huge space, and you can get through it fairly quickly if it's not too crowded. If little…read morebusy, you may have to wait your turn for certain exhibits or to get your photos. Also, while it's cool, the price point might feel a bit high for the length of the visit. Overall, it's a unique stop if you're at MOA and looking for something different and interactive. Great for families, quick entertainment, and fun photo ops for insta influencers or grandmas looking to be hip - just go in knowing it's more of a short experience than a half-day outing. Big shout out to Kimberly. A very kind staff member for helping to understand displays and take pictures.

Fun but not really worth the price for the time you spend. Some very interesting illusions that are…read moremind scrambling! Fun pictures though!

I loved thier special exhibit ( Modern Art and Politics ) and the Tibetan Meditation Room. The…read moreLayout is bizarre and some of my favorite artists weren't represented. The Minneapolis Art Institute is free. The Special exhibit is a special ticket that costs $$ unless you're a member. I went two days and I found free street parking not too far away. When I visited the Prairie Movement featuring Grant Wood and Frank Lolyd Wright I looked for Thomas Hart Benton... He was Missing in Action. MIA has several museum caliber pieces ( by Benton ), in storage. When I asked if they have any American Pop Art, the answer is Yes, but they were all MIA. In MIA's Not on View exhibit. When I asked about surrealism, they said if they have it, it's probably on the second floor. The Layout of MIA is by region and time period. The staff is very helpful at guiding me, but exact answers were challenging. Art is supposed to be for all. MIA has a massive collection, ten percent is on view at any given time. When you visit, you can type in the artist you are looking for on the website. Hopefully you'll be able to see what you seek.

MIA aka Minneapolis Institute of Art…read more Free. Cannot beat that price. This place is pretty big with 3 levels. Small elevators for the public. They have a gift shop and a food shop. Everything is spaced out. Wide space. There were many people but I never felt crowded. They even had a place for little kids to play. I came here to see the art items but I really came to see the $117 million dollar painting by Vincent Van Gogh. Nice. Original. Owned by the MIA. This is a masterpiece! If you live in MN and have not seen this, you are missing out on a masterpiece work of art. Highly recommended

Drove 20 miles to visit and although the website said it was open when we arrived it was closed.read more

Historic 1855 home in Hudson, WI, just miles from the Twin Cities. With COVID restrictions lifted,…read morethe house is back open and ready to be toured. Come learn about the history of the Moffat family that built this unique home as a group, with friends or even solo! There is something to learn for all ages. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. The Octagon House also serves tea. Be sure to check out their website or give them a call directly to setup tea time. There is even a gift shop on-site where you can purchase glassware, ornaments, and garden decor. My family had a magical day out of the entire experience.

My interest in Historic construction methods and materials often brings me to some interesting, and…read morealot of times off the path locations. The St Cloud area was, and still is one of the Country's largest suppliers of granite. When you love things such as old cobblestone streets, and old stone buildings as much as I do, sometimes you begin to wonder about what different types of stone were quarried and used the most in your area. While St Cloud is by no means a small city, the museum, as well as where the former and present day quarries are is off the path a bit. I was blown away by the exibits at this museum, I'd been expecting just a small museum with small displays. Instead the exibits were huge, and they have a 2 story tall interactive exibit on the quarry's. There was alot of other Central Minnesota history covered with big exibits as well. If you're out in this area and are intersted in Minnesota History, or are a fan of old tyme construction materials I'm sure you'll find this to be a great museum. I think this would be a fun museum for kids as well.

If you're from out of town, you should make the time to check out the Stearns History Museum. It…read morehas exhibits that are surprising for a mid-size town museum. Unfortunately, for those of us who live in the area, the exhibits seldom change. As a result, if you were to go here repeatedly, you'd end up seeing the same thing. Having said that, there are things to recommend. The park surrounding the museum has nice walking paths that are great for a summer afternoon walk. Inside, you'll find a fairly elaborate exhibit of granite quarrying (common to Granite City). You'll also find a nature exhibit that features the flora and fauna common to Central Minnesota. Our children enjoy this section of the museum. There are other exhibits as well, but I'd like to keep some of it a surprise for you to find when you visit. In addition, one of the gold mines at the museum for locals is the library which has extensive materials and resources for doing family research, especially if your family has ties to Central Minnesota. You could spend hours here researching and learning about family members from the area.

FAMILY FUN DAY at the The Bakken Museum!!! We had an unexpectedly great time. Each of us enjoyed a…read moredifferent aspect of this unique place: - My teen son loved the interactive, tech-inspired exhibits - I loved the beautiful Gothic/Tudor architecture and the history of the families that lived in the mansion throughout the years -Hubby loved the calming outdoor spaces and medicinal gardens - Our tween daughter loved her scavenger hunt for Lego people that were hidden throughout the museum From their website: The Bakken Museum inspires a passion for innovation by exploring the potential for science, technology, and the humanities to make the world a better place. Located on the West shore of Bde Maka Ska in Minneapolis, the museum features interactive exhibits for all ages and exceptional STEM education programs. Make movies in the Spark exhibit, meet the mother of science fiction in Mary & Her Monster, and test out some of Ben Franklin's favorite experiments in the Electricity Party Room.

This museum is great! My son and I loved learning about inventions and trying them out. It was very…read moreinteractive and the staff were friendly and helpful. The only downfall is that when we went in March and were waiting for our turn in the Frankenstein show a group of school kids on a field trip bypassed us forcing us to wait again. While I understand school field trips are important I also believe that paying customers should be allowed the same level of experience.

What I like best about this place is the cave tours they offer. The Stoppel family dug these caves…read morein the sandstone outcroppings in the 1800s. Some old dates and rather interesting graffiti inside.

My wife and I and a couple of relatives were in Rochester for a wedding and needed something to do…read morefor an afternoon. I lived here for a few years and never knew the history museum was here because I never really made it to this side of town. The museum part is pretty small but informative, but the outside features are cool. You can tour an old farm house and an old school. There is a lot of history about the Mayo Clinic, which I didn't really know about and you can do the whole thing in about an hour. We had a nice place to kill a couple of hours and I am glad we did.

Beautiful museum and lives up to its name : American Art!…read more Nicely curated objects representing people of all colors and different heritages - from native Americans to new Asian immigrants, and many more! From big names like Paul Manship (he did the Prometheus in front of the Rockefeller Center) and Grant Wood, to local artists like George Morrison, to new Hmong artists who are eager to make their works seen, this museum has a great collection and the juxtaposition of their works present a scene none less amazing than the American culture today! FREE!

Absolutely wonderful museum in an historical building with free admission. The staff were friendly…read moreand informative. The museum tour was excellent and the art collection wonderful. It was a great way to spend a winter day! Highly recommended!

Incredible collection of cars, gas pumps, motorcycles and random memorabilia. Had the opportunity…read moreto meet Vaughn and he made our experience even more special with his narratives on the story behind each car. As random as some of the spaces look, there's actually a great deal of thought and work behind each display. There's a bunch of expansion work coming up...so I can see this area being quite the tourist destination, by MN standards

This was amazing!!! My son and I went with our Cub Scout pack and had a tour. We couldn't be more…read morepleasantly surprised by all the automotive collectibles that were there. We saw restored gas pumps, cars, vintage oil cans and more and they are still adding on. Heidi and Jarrid our tour guides were friendly and very knowledgeable on every piece in the collection. If you are in the Buffalo or Monticello, Minnesota area or you want a really cool day trip, be sure to check out Veit Automotive Foundation.

If you grew up in Minnesota, you have memories of coming here. Coming back decades later with my…read morekids did not disappoint! We travel full-time and go to tons of museums, and my kids said this is their favorite, hands-down! So many exhibits I remember and a bunch of new, more-relevant stuff as well. Omnitheater content was a bit aged, but it was free with our ASTC membership entry so that's okay. We loved that they had fun presentations throughout the museum sprinkled throughout the day. The Hot & Cold presentation was so much fun! I also loved that you could bring your sack lunch inside to eat. Three hours in, we still hadn't seen everything - since we have the ASTC membership, I didn't sweat it - we'll be back! [Coffee shop not too great for this seasoned sipper, but they don't lose points for that... just keep it in mind!]

We got a family membership as a gift last year (2024) and both of our kids love coming here…read more There are a variety of interactive activities for kids (and adults) of all ages. Our boys' favorite activity is the one you get to race against professional athletes, T-Rex or TC Bear! It's great that the Omnitheater shows are included in our membership.

This was a sentimental visit for me. I've wanted to see the Little House in the Big Woods for…read moredecades. The site is open access. You park and can go right up to the house, day or night, any time of year. The door uses a rope latch system and there's a sign asking people to keep the door shut. The interior is small, but there's an information wall that's a good excuse to linger and read. The original cabin, of course, was long gone before the books were even published, and this new version was the result of a fundraising campaign in the 1970s.

Wonderful museum and super friendly staff. My mom, grandmother, and I had a wonderful timeread more