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!

The staff was so kind, and my nephew loved all the animals, skulls, and reptiles. The ticket…read moreservice was excellent, and the layout made sense. My nephew and I spent over an hour there, and he had so many questions and wanted to go back!

An amazing small museum with a focus on education, space, and dinosaurs. They throw tons of fun…read moreevents and it's definitely worth a stop :)

What a fantastic hidden gem! To spend a nice spring day, my family decided to drive to the little…read moretown of Scandia and spend the afternoon. Since we hadn't been to Scandia before, we didn't have anywhere particular in mind to go. When arriving at a park, we noticed it shared a space with Gammelgarden. When we had parked to go to the playground, we had actually parked in front of a Swedish historical museum. We were so pleasantly surprised! Visiting cultural and history sites is our favorite thing to do, so we couldn't believe our luck. To top it off, they were open on a Sunday for a guided tour! Our guide, named Reese, was in costume and was knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor. Finding a museum open for business on a Sunday in a small town was an unexpected pleasure. For the next couple of hours, we experienced the buildings and artifacts that make up this wonderfully historic little complex, including the oldest Lutheran church inthe state of Minnesota! Each house, called "hus", was filled with original artifacts from the people who lived in Sweden or Scandia as it was first blossoming as a settlement. The museum gave us information on upcoming events and classes that each member of my family would be interested in - including an event thus summer where participants roll "meatballs" made from painted golf balls down to Gammelgarden from a shop on the main street. We will definitely be coming back!

From the owner: Step back in history. Meaning "old farm" in Swedish, Gammelgården Museum of Scandia is the only…read moreopen-air museum devoted to preserving, presenting, and promoting Swedish immigrant heritage in the United States. In buildings that have been carefully preserved and restored, visitors can get a glimpse of the daily lives and artifacts of these immigrants and participate in events and classes. The Välkommen Hus and Butik gift shop are open daily from May through December. The five historical buildings are open from May through October. Join us for a tour of our buildings, Midsommar, Spelmansstämman, Swedish Coffee Parties, Girls & Dolls Tea Parties, Lutfisk, Lucia Dagen, and more.

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.

This is a small, but very good and free modern art museum on the campus of the U of Minnesota…read more The building has the iconic shape of architect Frank Gehry. The exhibits are on one floor with restrooms and a small terrace with a great view of the river and downtown Minneapolis. I really liked the permanent collection and the special exhibit by Asian artists, including a 165 foot-long beautiful painted scroll. If you are into modern art, it is well worth a visit. Another nice touch is the inexpensive, garage parking in the base of the building. You part and take the elevator directly up into the museum lobby.

I attended a gala here a few years ago and it was such a fun venue space. We were able to mingle…read moreamongst the art exhibits as well. Great experience

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 surprisingly interesting museum. Honestly, I wasn't too excited, walking into this…read moresmall stripmall-esque location to see a museum devoted to pottery. However, it was rather informative about the city of Red Wing, the former pottery factory, and shelves and shelves of different forms of the Red Wing wares. They had vintage displays to give you a nostalgic feel for their hay day, and the gift shop even had some pieces for sale. I'm not sure how small children may feel about it, but for adults with an appreciate for art, history, and/or pottery I would definitely recommend this museum. Make sure to read the fact cards - they may be small, but they provide a lot of interesting information.

Outstanding! A free museum with interesting things to see and learn. I was unaware of the pottery…read morehistory of the area before my visit. The exhibits show the history of the industry and a surprising variety of products. Bowling fans will appreciate the custom made bowling pin light fixtures for a local bowling alley. The gift shop has many interesting items.

Public Functionary is a contemporary art gallery with a vision: bring rising national and local…read moreartists whose work expresses diversity in background, approach, inspiration and materials and connect them and their artwork with with the broader Minneapolis community. Hands down one of the best (and non-profit) art galleries in the Twin Cities, Public Functionary has brought in a range on artists from Chicago-based artist Carlos Rolon, better known as Dzine, New York-based artists Sougwen Chung and Eric Inkala, L.A.-based artist Patrick Martinez, to local Minneapolis-based artists Jennifer Davis and Micheal Thomsen, and many more. In addition exhibiting world-class art and artists, Public Functionary makes a point of inviting in community groups and letting them use their amazing, huge (and expanded) space as a resource. PF "Takeovers" (fun party nights where local artists/musicians take over the space to create a scene), fashion shows, NE Mpls business functions and events, musical and dance performances are all regular occurrences in-between/during exhibitions that has Public Functionary truly live up to it's name.

One of the best non-profit, rotating, visionary art galleries in town. A hidden gem that needs to…read morebe un-hidden. The mixture of art, music and style during the opening weekends are inspiring and creative. Tricia does a wonderful job reaching into many different scenes within the city and pasting them together to make this gallery function.

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.

- Mill City Museum…read more Mill City Museum was one of the highlights of my time in Minneapolis and is absolutely worth visiting. One important thing to know is that the museum closes around 4:30 p.m., so plan accordingly. I would recommend giving yourself at least 90 minutes to two hours. You could move through faster, but you would miss a lot of the history and displays. Admission was around $15, and it was completely worth the price. After purchasing a ticket, you receive a sticker with a scheduled time for the Flour Tower experience. When that time arrives, you report to the designated area on the first floor. While waiting, there is plenty to explore about the history of the mills, the surrounding area, and the enormous role Minneapolis played in the flour industry. I do not want to spoil the Flour Tower experience, but I will say this: it is absolutely worth doing. My advice is to sit in the front row near the middle. I happened to choose that seat by chance, and it ended up being the best seat in the house. The experience genuinely surprised me and became one of the first things I told friends and family about when I returned home. Afterward, you are taken to the top of the building, where there are excellent views of the surrounding area. You can see the Pillsbury Mill across the river, the Stone Arch Bridge, St. Anthony Falls, the lock and dam, the Guthrie Theater, nearby park areas, and portions of the historic mill ruins. Once you return to the first floor, you can also walk through and see the ruins up close. I spent about an hour and a half here and felt that was a good amount of time, although someone who enjoys reading every display could easily spend two hours or more. I highly recommend Mill City Museum, especially for anyone visiting Minneapolis for the first time. It is educational, creative, memorable, and one of those attractions that is much more impressive than you may expect going in.

Really loved this museum!! Especially the observation deck and the movie at the end . There was a…read morebread tasting and a fool proof recipe given. It was informative in terms of understanding the city culture and flour milling. Great gift shop too! I highly recommend.