Better (extremely) late than never…read more The Pavek affords one a step back in time to an era when Radio was dominant. I find that it has a fascinating collection of all manner of radios as well as TVs and assorted broadcast equipment. The museum has made a heroic effort to preserve the early days of electronic media and to me it serves as a reminder that what's new is old. Hours are somewhat limited (see Pavek online for current info). The price of admission is quite reasonable in my opinion. Unfortunately the Pavek is relatively obscure and not at all well known (at least locally). I suppose that makes the place a "hidden gem." I personally think it deserves much greater recognition. Well worth a look in my book.

We often talk about "hidden gems" as a good think. In the case of the Pavek Museum, it's…read moreunfortunate that this gem is hidden. It's located off Highway 100 in St. Louis Park, very near the Post Office and Target. I've lived in the Twin Cities, less than 15 minutes from the museum, since before the museum opened in 1988. Yes, I had never heard of it or even seen it, even though I've been within blocks of it's location many, many times. Recently, I had the opportunity to tour the museum with one of their well-qualified interns. This museum specialized in mass communication, from the invention of the telegraph machine in the 1800's through modern times. In fact, many of the "artifacts" in the museum didn't even exist when the museum opened in 1988! I was most impressed with their exhibits and original objects, including the very first reel-to-reel tape machine brought to the US after World War I. It is a chance to get very close to all of these objects and to better understand the evolution of communication in a relatively short 150 years of advancements. As an adult, I really enjoyed this museum and I think we will find it well worth your time to visit. However, the main bulk of their visitors are school groups. It would be fun to watch kids try to figure out how to use the rotary phone dial they have in their phone booth exhibit. These is also a low-wattage radio station that kids can use to do actual broadcasts. Please help this gem become unhidden because it is a fun and educational museum that can be enjoyed by anyone.

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.

Beautifully preserved prairie school style home. MIA manages this property and the guide was…read moreincredibly knowledgeable and thorough in helping bring the home alive. Our tour had about 10 people which was a good amount. I had a fun time trying to find the subtle differences in the stained glass windows. On street parking was easy. I will have to come back in the summer to see more of the outside and gardens. I'd also like to walk around the neighborhood. Beautiful area. Enjoyed this tour very much.

The Purcell-Cutts house is owned by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and is open for tours the…read moresecond weekend of every month. It was built in the early 1900s, and has been preserved (with the replacement of some of the original furniture with look-alikes) almost entirely as it was back then. The tours are very informative, and cheap too; $5 for non-members, free if you're a member of the MIA. Being that it's a turn-of-the-century house, it wasn't built to accommodate wheelchairs, unfortunately. Also, you should call ahead if someone in your party has trouble walking up stairs or standing for long periods of time.

This is a neighborhood gem! I took my two year old nephew there and we had the best time. Tons of…read morefire trucks, equipment used throughout the years and an awesome kids area with uniform items to try on and fire truck cabs turned into interactive spots for kids to drive while watching a video of a local truck driving out of the station on a call. As an adult, I'd go back on my own as well. It's an awesome local spot to check out with anyone into trucks or firefighting, young or old.

Perfect place for a child's birthday party and plenty of stuff for adults to see on the history of…read morethe Minneapolis fire department

Another masterpiece of a model railroad. The March flea market was a good show with excellent buys…read moreand plenty of vendors. The layout is fully operational and many trains operate at one time. The current size covers East Minneapolis Junction to Duluth, Brainerd and Staples. This is an incredible place to take kids who are about 4 and up. Kids will love the buildings where you can see the inside. You could spend many hours just watching trains pass by. For kids under 4 feet tall be prepared to carry them so they can see everything.

The conservatory is such a magical place! It's amazing that the whole place is completely free. It…read morecan get busy on the weekends, but we went on a rainy Friday afternoon and had the place to ourselves. We love the bonsai exhibit and the Japanese garden. The garden is so beautiful in the springtime! There's plenty of space to walk around both in the conservatory and at the zoo. Even the grounds outside of the conservatory is beautiful!

FLORA & FAUNA This…read morefabulous public zoo in Saint Paul is fun, multi-faceted, and FREE! When researching things to do in the Twin Cities, Como Park Zoo & Conservatory popped up on numerous "best of" lists, including best places to bring kids, best free attractions, and other recommended activities. The family and I came here in early June, and we had a lovely time. Parking is free but lots fill up quickly and street spots are on a first-come basis, so the longer you wait, the further you'll have to walk.  My advice is to get here early to avoid the gauntlet of busses filled with school groups, summer camps, and other families heading to the zoo. They suggest a voluntary donation of $5/kid and $8/adult; we chipped in $20 for our family of four.  By comparison, Brookfield Zoo in Illinois charges $30/adult and $21/kid....the 4 of us would have paid $100 PLUS parking.  The Shedd Aquarium in downtown Chicago is even pricier, so this was a welcome relief. We saw giraffes, a gorilla, polar bears, zebras, fishes, turtles, colorful dart frogs, a tiger, and lots more.  Within the zoo is a small amusement park with a handful of kiddie rides and a 'Galaxy' model roller coaster, as well as a splendid carousel outside the park that's $4/pp.  All rides are open seasonally from May-Sept. The sea lion show seemed mid.  They made a big deal of it (not to mention amassing a huge crowd) and all I saw were some volunteers trying to complete some goofy task faster than a sea lion would.  There was a lot of narration but very little actual activity from what I could tell.  yawn. We couldn't get anything to eat or drink outside of the visitor center cafe.  None of the snack stands were open (despite it being 11:45) and every pop machine was either unplugged, sold out, or all the plastic bottles were removed for environmental reasons.  Thank goodness we packed snacks for the kiddos. The conservatory was breathtaking: lush jungles with funky plants like the Ipecac tree, air potato, chocolate, cacti, and aloe.  We encountered a logjam of people near the fruit tree section with everyone stopping to admire fig, papaya, coffee, and sugarcane plants. The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory was home to a legendary 81" tall corpse flower named 'Frederick' in 2025.  These plants, considered some of the rarest and smelliest on earth, bloom once every few years and last for only 1-2 days.  Witnessing this in person takes incredible (lucky) timing or tremendous patience. 'Horace', their latest corpse flower, displayed his magnificent burgundy bloom from 6/7/26 to 6/9/26.  We missed it by less than a week!  These generate quite a crowd, with lines stretching for hours and people waiting outside to view (and smell) a once-in-a-lifetime botanical event. * TL;DR * A cool zoo, an even cooler conservatory, and the coolest part?  You don't even have to crack open your wallet. Spending a day at Como Park Zoo is perfect for those wishing to embark on budget-friendly adventures.  Pack a lunch, wear comfortable walking shoes, and get here around opening to take advantage of decent parking.  The animals appeared to be well taken care of, and the grounds were clean. The conservatory is stunning although the narrow pathways can get crowded during peak hours.  We loved our time spent here and would highly recommend Como Park Zoo & Conservatory for families or solo travelers seeking to kill a few hours in the Twin Cities.

Located right by the MIA...this is a very unique and interesting museum...that I didn't even know…read moreabout until I came here for an art workshop. Came here actually for an interesting art workshop called "Create 'Unexpected Art' with Becka Rahn" which involved creating images and computers and the final product would be a swatch of material from an image that I created!Which is to be mailed to the participant via mail.. which I haven't yet received...I took this workshop with a past participant who was raving about it ... I really did enjoy my experience and I am so looking forward to my finished product! $5 gets you in and also a tour of the museum/mansion.. oh what a deal.. and like Rhonda G. says below... it's really like having a Downtown Abbey right here in Minneapolis! FREE Parking that's connected to the museum, too! Look forward to attending more interesting events here in the future!

If you are a native Minneapolite - or even just a transplant / convert - check this place out. It's…read morekitty-corner from the MIA so you can make a day of museum hopping followed by a meal at one of the many restaurants along nearby Eat Street (Nicollet Ave). For a minimal fee, you'll be able to check out the fantastically-curated exhibits that explore different topics relevant to Hennepin County's history through photographs, textiles, paintings, videos, audio-recordings, sculptures, artifacts, and more. It is a full-sensory experience in a historic mansion that cannot and should not be missed. In addition to traditional exhibitions, they have unique and fun programming - which sounds like it will be more frequent according to an article I read recently about the new director! Plus, the mansion is available as a venue rental. I even considered it for my upcoming wedding! The biggest downsides (and biggest complaints I had while working there) are 1) the fact that the building is not handicap accessible and 2) the lack of air conditioning in the summertime. It's an unfortunate reality about many historic buildings but even more so for HHM...as a non-profit and lesser-known museum, lots of funding is needed to facilitate the appropriate and allowed retrofitting while still protecting the historic integrity. Admittedly, I am a bit biased in my love of this place. When I graduated with my B.A. in cultural studies and comparative literature, I began scouring the Twin Cities for non-profit gigs, especially those in the Arts. I landed my first post-college job as a museum administrator at the Hennepin History Museum despite having never stepped foot in the mansion or even knowing of its existence. It was an amazing experience and I learned a lot, but the most valuable thing I learned was what an exceptional gem HHM is. Please do not miss out on the opportunity to explore!

I was pleasantly surprised by how lovely this little museum turned out to be. My husband and I were…read morespending the day in Stillwater, and had just finished a very poorly narrated tour of the historic courthouse, when we decided to wander over to the tiny Warden's House Museum. The gentleman who met us out front sold us our tickets ($5 each), and then proceeded to take us through the whole house. It's honestly mostly a mishmash of random items people in Washington County have donated over the years (he mentioned that they are no longer accepting donations of antique pianos because at this point every ground floor room in the house has one). The real jewel here was our tour guide. He was very well versed in all aspects of early Minnesota history, from the rise and fall of the logging industry, to the process of bringing electricity to Stillwater, to the old county jail whose remnants the museum is next to. It was clear the he wasn't just regurgitating some lines he had memorized: he answered all our questions thoroughly and thoughtfully, and clearly was an avid history buff. I highly recommend visiting this little gem.