My wife and I visited the Museum of Illusions at the Mall of America and had a pretty fun time!…read moreIt's definitely one of those places where your camera is your best friend--there are tons of cool photo ops and optical illusions that will make you laugh and scratch your head. Some of the illusions are things you've probably seen online, and my wife got dizzy from a few. We had the entire Museum to ourselves and enjoyed taking our time. Staff was very helpful with camera position recommendations and explanations. That said, I do wish there was a bit more to do. The space isn't very big, and it took less than an hour to go through everything. For the price, I expected a few more interactive elements or unique illusions. Overall, I'd recommend it if you're already at the Mall of America and want to do something a little different--especially with friends or family. It's a good spot to laugh, take creative pictures, and see some reality-bending visuals. Just go in knowing it's a short experience and maybe plan something else afterward to make the most of your day!

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.

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.

One star less only because the science museum had "event rates" for the Grand Casino Arena, when…read moreyou're clearly going to the Science Museum as a family... Anyway, it was a great day with plenty of old staples like viruses and physics and weather. We visited the Skin exhibit which was pretty cool and they had a new sports exhibit too that the kids and adults had a blast at. Perfect for a winter escape!

So much fun! Lots of learning and fun activities. Went for an event…read more Had a child with me. So many activities for kids! She had so much fun, learned a lot about animals, constellations, the environment and more Food: catered by event- Delicious tacos and dessert. Multiple meat options, veggie, Vegan options and gluten friendly as well Parking: Metered parking - had discounted parking. There are a few lots you can park at. One at museum and a few others. We had a shuttle pick up available at the further lots through the events Highly recommend for children but also very interesting for adults! Don't miss the planetarium or the Woolly Mammoth!

Love this museum! My two six year old twins really love this place. I also love this museum. It was…read moreso much fun so many cool things to see. Planetarium was fun as well Minnesota night skies was very interesting. Thank you!

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!

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!

Beautiful historical building with grey photo opportunities and a few small but exquisite museums…read moreinside! I walked into this center while attending a conference in the Saint Paul hotel across the street. I was so pleasantly surprised by how beautiful the inside is, how nice the two museums (a musical instrument museum, with amazingly beautiful old pianos, and a woodwork museum with a great collection of carved wood items) are, and how friendly and helpful the staff/volunteers were inside the center. And all of that is free to the visitors! What a wonderful opportunity to see the region's history and culture , and meet some friendly locals! I can't recommend this place enough!

Gorgeous historical building with a variety of exhibits and restored courtrooms. The woodwork…read morethroughout the building was all hand-carved, as was the stonework. A wonderful space in which to wander!

I have been to the history center multiple times in my life, starting with the classic minnesotan…read morefield trip in grade school. I have been back a few times for a few of their special exhibits. We went when the peanuts exhibit was here, I went with the Junior League of Minneapolis when there was a womens exhibit and we just went to see the Julia Child exhibit that ends at the end of May. Every Thursday evening admission is free which is absolute treat (Parking too!). We found ourselves here for the final game of round 1 for the Wild (GO WILD) and discovered they were allowing parking for the game and there was a line to get in (I think they charged $20). I called as there was a line to see if they had different parking for museum guests, which they did reserve several for museum guests, so we got to park for free which was amazing. The History Center does a really great job of mixing the educational and interactive aspects. On the day we attended we discovered they also had a music series going on (starting at 6:30) so we were able to sit and hear some beautiful music as well which was a added bonus and something we didn't know they did. There are exhibits that are totally kid friendly which is great as it caters to such a wide variety of people.

Revised Version Bon…read moreAppétit. This exhibit at the Minnesota History Center tells the story of Julia Child's life, from college to the Office of Strategic Services (the precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency) to becoming one of television's first celebrity chefs. Julia's life story is one of adaptation and surprise. She grew up wealthy, went to Smith College, and joined the Office of Strategic Services because she was too tall for the Women's Army Corps (WAC). She was promoted from typist to the Secret Intelligence division. It was in this role that she met her husband, Paul Child, who also worked for the OSS. She later worked in several restaurants, developed recipes, and wrote best-selling cookbooks. Eventually, she became the host of the television show The French Chef, which debuted in 1962. She appeared on television until near the end of her life in 2004. The exhibit at the Minnesota History Center does an excellent job of presenting her entire life story, mostly through photographs and descriptions. It includes many of her cooking implements, handwritten notes, letters, and recipes. There are also several video displays showing episodes of The French Chef. However, I think the highlight of the exhibit is the giant (and I mean GIANT) cookbook display that scrolls through pages of the book. Another highlight is a replica of the kitchen studio she used on her TV show, which was designed by her husband, Paul. When we visited, there were many school groups. However, I don't feel this exhibit is really designed for kids, since most of them would have no idea who Julia Child was--even as a TV chef--since she died more than 20 years ago. I also don't think the exhibit is interactive enough to hold the attention of anyone in high school or younger. That's not really a criticism--just an observation. If I were a parent or school volunteer, I would probably steer kids toward some of the other exhibits in the History Center. One amusing moment came from a kid standing in the kitchen display and yelling, "I'm Gordon Ramsay!" I suspect Julia would have been disappointed in how some cooking shows have evolved since her time--but I have to admit, it was pretty funny.

My family wanted to do a tour so we did- I was surprised at how many people were on this tour-…read moreplace was packed. Really interesting to learn the history of the site, kind of a whole twist and turn of story that is unexpected. There are actors who provide the tour. If you are someone who likes history, this would be great for you!

Very awesome tour, Led by Mary/Rosie the Riveted. What a fun night! Loved the outside views and old…read morecars. They decorated the entire place. The tour was an hour long and very story focused which was so fun. Hot tip: Very dark so watch your step or bring small flashlight. I tripped a few times. So be careful! Hot tip: beautiful view of St. Paul capitol nearby! Hot tip: go to Cosettas for dinner after!

I enjoyed my trip to the museum inside the Jackson Street Roundhouse, but I think I'd been…read moreexpecting a bit more... granduer? Ultimately it's a rather small museum with a handful of locomotives and a couple of cabooses and passenger cars. I thought it was neat you could walk through the restored passenger cars to get a feel for what it must've been like to ride in them across the country. I also enjoyed learning more about the history of the Great Northern Railway specifically, which was scattered about the museum along with artifacts from the rail line's operation in the 1900s. I did feel it could have been improved with some coverage of racial realities of the times (I saw many an old advertisement depicting happy white couples enjoying the passenger cars with black servers, with zero contemporary acknowledgement of this uncomfortable profiling, for example. To say nothing of the workers who built and maintained the industry. To conveniently gloss over this piece of the history seems lazy to me.) More stuff I liked was the small section about travelling circuses/carnivals by rail and the model railroad. I also thought the coloring pages in the kid's area were a nice touch. I wish there had been more to the outdoor "exhibits." Really that was just viewing for a couple more locomotives and the (admittedly impressively sized) circular train table. I was here on Wednesday, so I didn't get an opportunity to do the caboose ride; that would've probably been fun. I do intend to go at some point to the WI location and do one of their train ride offerings. There were plenty of staff members/volunteers there. I'm not big on interacting with folks, so I didn't utilize them much, but it's nice to see the community chipping in on historical preservation. The gift shop was lacking. I'm normally a big sucker for gift shops and often walk away with one or two little trinkets from an adventure like this. But nothing appealed to me. It would've been nice to see more stuff with the museum's branding on it (like pins or keychains). Restroom was acceptably clean. Water fountains are also available. They let me carry around my water bottle inside, which was nice. Good sized parking lot was only 1/3 full on a Wednesday afternoon. Probably sees a lot more traffic on Saturdays, if I had to guess. For $10 adult entry fee, this was a reasonable experience overall and I would recommend it to others who were curious, but I wouldn't call it a "must-see." I spent two hours there (which was way less than I'd budgetted for in my day, ha).

The name, "Minnesota Transportation Museum" is an umbrella name for three locations: the Osceola…read moreand St. Croix Valley Railway, which gives 90-minute rides; The Minnehaha Depot, which was restored to its 1890s appearance, and this location, the Jackson Street Roundhouse, which is a museum with indoor and outdoor trains. The event I signed up for is called Tots and Trains is geared for ages two to five. It includes full access to the museum (but not actual train rides), Story Time readings, a small snack, and crafts ($11 for adults, $6 for ages 3 to 6). The normal adult admission is $16.05. I would say there are two audiences for this museum. If you have a small child and are looking for a 2 hours or so of entertainment, your toddler will have a blast playing with all of the levers and buttons on the actual trains, as well as watching the model railroad, the various play areas, and the built-in story time and snack. My toddler had a blast. The second very different audience would be older teen through adults who are train buffs. They are at least half a dozen (or more) actual train engines inside the museum and volunteers who are happy to give you as much detail as you could possibly want. If you are model railroad person, this is also a good place to check out their very large exhibit. I'm glad this part of history has been preserved by this museum and the hard-working volunteers.

Wow, what a cool train museum, ESPECIALLY for young kids. This place brings me back to my days of…read morehaving a train as a child, but watching my kids interact with the trains is the best part. If you have young kids (under 8 or so), this is a wonderful place to take them, and if you live nearby, consider a membership. Here's a summary of the cool aspects for kids: 1) Almost all the trains are interactive. There are buttons kids can press to start trains, and also start other aspects of the displays, like turning on lights, making cars go, helicopter blades spin, and even a roller coaster go (yes you read that right!). 2) There's so many trains, my kids would walk around for hours if I let them. 3) They change aspects of the displays often, so even if you visit a lot, there's always something new to look at. 4) There's three tables with large Lego trains and Brio trains, we always end here and my kids play endlessly with them. 5) There's a few other cool things like a scavenger hunt, a couple "racing" tables, and night trains (have not been yet but looks cool). 6) The bathroom is clean and set up for kids. All in all, this is a phenomenal place to bring kids, and even if you don't have kids, it's great for people who are kids-at-heart!

We came in time for the night train display. I have to say they "bring it" for this event. The…read moretrains are fun and they even had live music. There were many staff and volunteers on hand, including a train doctor. If you look closely at the displays, there are some (not literal) Easter eggs. They have a gift shop too with hats, whistles, books, and postcards. My kid actually lasted an hour and then it was too much. Many of the displays were hard to read in the dark, so if you're there for more of a museum experience, go during day hours. Overall a good experience. You can see the love and care put into the displays.

James J. Hill House is spectacular. It is a feat of ingenious to see all the beauty that went into…read morethis home. I have been on a tour here twice and have enjoyed each one. The tours were in different seasons, so we were able to see different parts of the home. Thank you to everyone that works on the upkeep of this magnificent home and spreads the history of how it came to be. Go support them and learn more about MN history!

Visiting my college roommate in St. Paul. She's a member of the Minnesota Historical Society so she…read morebrought me to this amazing historical landmark for free today. We enjoyed our docent-led tour by Peter, who mostly told stories, about James and Mary Hill and their family, while interspersing interesting historical facts throughout. My favorite rooms were by far the library/study where I would've chosen to sit on a sun bench to read by natural light and gaze out at Summit Street to people watch and admire the magnificent Cathedral of St Paul across the street; and the art gallery which houses a grandiose organ with pipies up to the ceiling. I also appreciated the ingenius laundry drying rack system they had contrived back then. If you're in the area, it's well worth a visit and 1 hour 15 min of your time!