So much fun! Lots of learning and fun activities. Went for an event. 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! read more

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

The staff was so kind, and my nephew loved all the animals, skulls, and reptiles. The ticket service 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! read more

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Must visit museum! If you enjoy the science Museum then you will definitely love the Bell Museum. So many unique displays. Very clear and close displays. Educational while keeping it fun for the kids. We cannot wait to come back ! read more

So many things to see and not enough time. Wow is all I have to say about the Bell museum. We went specifically for the planetarium show which showcased our very own night sky. It was immersive and interactive which was great for my littles. Parking in the overflow lot across the street was less than ideal for the frigid temps of MN but otherwise not a big deal. This place is totally accessible as well. Staff are around and are enthusiastically willing to help explain something or show you the way. There is also a gift shop and place to buy food. Will definitely return! read more

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Everything it was kinda scary but it was cool i liked how there's a lot of animals And a lot other cool things read more

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

The Bell Museum has some great exhibits, awesome life-sized pieces, and some newer storytelling spots. Definitely take some extra time to thoroughly go through the upstairs exhibit, there are tons of spots that are super interesting. However, the layout is a bit odd, we double backed a few times because the order wasn't inherently understood. The worst part, in my opinion, was the pricing. Not only is there admission, but there is also a parking charge. All-in-all it seemed pretty steep for the small museum. read more

Bell Museum - Museums Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

We held our wedding ceremony and reception at the Bell Museum and can't recommend it as a venue enough! The Bell is a beautiful location that has proved to be a picturesque location for capturing our event in photos, the staff are all kind courteous and professional, and our guests were obsessed with over how cool of a venue it was for a wedding. Laura and Korra were exceptionally helpful when it came to planning and hosting the event. Laura walked us through the process of planning step-by-step so that when the big day came it ran exactly to plan and we had zero issues whatsoever. Korra provided excellent day of support and was helpful in answering all of our questions as the event unfolded. If you are planning a wedding or event that involves children as guests, or adults who just want to have something fun to do between the festivities, we can't recommend the Bell Museum enough. You will have zero regrets, and your guests will rave over the fun and inviting venue. read more

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My office on the University of Minnesota East Bank Campus was near the old Bell Museum and I had visited it several times. I had not visited the new Bell Museum since it moved to the St Paul Campus. The new Museum is spectacular. Much more space than the old one. There is a planetarium which we enjoyed. The old dioramas have been dusted off and the mammoth is impressive. There were lots of kids who seemed to be having a great time. The museum itself is easily accessible and there is a small parking lot. It is easy to purchase tickets online. I highly recommend. read more

This was a fun place to check out. Lots of hands on items for kids to explore. The mammoth was probably my favorite. It's a good learning experience type place for kids and adults. It's a bit small but they do a really good job with filling up the space with the area they have. We watched two planetarium shows. The Minnesota night skies is definitely good for kids and people who get motion sickness easy. The second show we saw was the super volcanos and honestly i got a little sick lol. I do get motion sickness kinda easy. But it still is worth checking out. The staff members that work the shows are very friendly and outgoing. The staff members who work at the front desk are basically just there. Not much personality and they usually are just reading books when you go up to disturb them to buy a ticket. read more

I took my four boys here on a day off. It was a neat museum and a place I'd recommend a visit! Pros: - hands on exhibits - recreated life size creatures - clean facility - unique learning opportunities - beautiful grounds Cons - they charge for parking and the museum is already a steep price - the planetarium was boring. I'd recommend they use the university creative writing department to come up with a more entertaining show. I thought it would be so educational but we were all bored and disappointed we paid extra for it. read more

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First time going to The Bell Museum and we will definitely be going back! My son and I saw the show at the planetarium and we enjoyed it. Next we got to see live insects and snakes, we even got to pet a live snake! We went upstairs and saw a wooly mammoth along with lots of interesting exhibits. Parking is easy and cheap, $2 and we were there about 2.5 hours. Can't wait for our next trip. read more

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My husband and I were looking for a fun and unique date night, that wasn't just us going out to eat! Enter, the Bell Museum! We had the opportunity to check it out, they have an "after hours" type experience and we jumped at the chance. It is a pretty cool museum that sits on the edge of the University of Minnesota campus in Saint Paul. This museum of natural history has some pretty cool collections! My favorite ones were the Touch and See lab (holding the skull of a hippo was crazy!) and the observation deck where we tried to look at the sun! There's also an awesome gallery that walks you through Minnesota nature and all the cool plants and animals we have in this state I definitely think kids would love it (there's a cool DIY creativity section for kids) - for me, it was pretty fun but a quick experience. I do however want to go back when it's dark to use the telescopes on the observation deck and learn more about what I can see with them! It was nice that they had on-site parking. One thing I thought it was missing was some sort of cafe or food situation! All-In-all, something you should check out at least once! read more

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This was a fun experience. My girls really really enjoyed the animals and the staff was so nice about explaining things about the animals and showing them the animal pelts, they really loved that because you can't really pet a red fox or wolf in the wild. The displays of the native animals was definitely a eye opener especially the woolly mammoth. It's great to know about what animals used to roam this region and what we can expect to see now. My girls are not really big into space so the we browsed through and listened to a talk about space rocks which was very informative. The Solution Studio is a great place for young and old minds a like. Lots of brain challenging activities. My girls had fun playing with the robots. Verdict- I would advise anyone who is interested about wildlife and plants in Minnesota and The Northern Region this the place for you. If you have kids I would strongly recommend only come if your child is interested in animals or space otherwise they might be a little bored. read more

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What a great museum! I didn't really know what to expect going in, but it's fun, interactive, and the building is beautiful. If you're looking to learn about the history of Minnesota, its wildlife, and our solar system, then this will be your jam. They have a creepy crawly section filled with living snakes, tarantulas, and giant cockroaches. I honestly did get a tad creeped out, but their intention is for you to face your fear and get up close with these gross--ehem--wonderful creatures. The mammoth is a sight to behold and while you're at it, catch a show in the planetarium. The Bell is rich with information and stunning exhibits. Parking is $5 and the lot is rather small, however, if it's full you will be directed to other parking options and a shuttle will drop you off at the museum and get you back. read more

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Yesterday evening, my friend lil yang and I had the opportunity to walk through the Bell Museum, thanks to the awesome Yelp Elite Event put on by Kara. The "After Hours" event took place from 5-8:30, but you were able to arrive when it was most convenient for you. I have never been here, and I remembered when it was built so this was something I was looking forward to exploring. There may be a 'private lot', but that doesn't mean the parking is free. The lady inside told us that it was a flat rate fee of $5. Wasn't expecting that, and not the most thrilled about it. However, when we left, and scanned our ticket to pay, our total was $2. We figured it was because of the amount of time we were there. When we arrived, we realized we had read the email wrong, because the planetarium wasn't included in the yelp event, it did give us a chance to look over the prices if we wanted to go. $8 for Adults, $7 for Seniors(65+), either $6 for Youth(3-21), and $4 U of M Students. That was to just go to the Planetarium. The cost for the Museum would have been another charge. I remember seeing if you wanted to do both it was $17 for Adults. Here is the website for more details.... https://www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/admissions/ We walked around the upstairs first, and it was a lot bigger than what we were expecting. We were upstairs for about an hour and a half and we breezed through the exhibits. We read what interested us, and skimmed what didn't. Did you know that there are over 20,000 different species of Bees, and 400 in Minnesota Alone?! How crazy is that?! Some of the interactive things were a little confusing, some were entertaining, and all were educational whether we understood them or not. The status of the Mammoth was so huge, but it was really cool to look at, and the Big Beaver. It is crazy to think that a beaver that large was common so many years ago. Same goes for the large Beetles we saw, and the huge Bat they had showing. Lil yang pointed out how clean the enclosures were, it made our eyes feel weird looking at them. It felt like there wasn't glass window on the front of the exhibit, till you hit your head looking at all of the different animals inside the case. Lol There was a Speaker that was going to be talking about the Apollo Landing, which we opted out of going too, because we weren't all that interested, but it was cool that even before it started there was a message over the intercom for people who were, so they wouldn't miss it, and staff around the museum told people in case they didn't hear the announcement. Downstairs there were multiple areas for different educational activities for kids. One room was called the 'Touch and See Lab'. I was not a fan of that room because there were live snakes in it, and well I'm not a fan. There were other animals, but I was not feeling it. There were many kids in there, and I could tell they enjoyed it though. Overall, I would love to go back, to see the planetarium possibly, but I don't know if I'd go back again unless I went with someone who really wanted to experience the museum. This was a fun event, and I'm glad I got to experience it with a friend. I would recommend this place for all to check out, it was very informative and educational. Thank you again Kara and the Yelp Staff for offering this as an event for Elites to check it out! read more

The old Bell Museum was cool. The new one is absolutely breathtaking -- stunning, really. If you think you will be visiting more than once, I'd highly recommend getting a membership. You get discounted passes to the planetarium and such, and you are supporting a good cause. It's like $75. Totally worth it. First the building itself is beautiful. It's modern but also rustic if you can manage that in one building. The architecture is amazing to look at. I loved the mirrored curved wall on the stairwell, the exterior of the building and the very carefully placed window that allows you to see the woolly mammoth from outside. Second, I don't know who was in charge of moving all of the beautiful dioramas and figures from the old location, but that person just wins at life. I was blown away by how beautifully arranged and displayed all of the old exhibits were. Even though I know it's the same materials that were moved, the care and expertise shown makes all of the scenes just really come to life in a way that they could not in the old location. Every single little detail is perfect. Some of the larger scenes are so interesting that you could literally stand there and look at them for hours to take in the details. Third, it's just cool. There are so many interesting things to look at, things to learn, lots of things for the kids to touch (there's an entire please-touch room), etc. And on top of that, there's the planetarium, which is state-of-the-art and super impressive. You have to pay extra to get a planetarium ticket, and I would recommend buying online since shows can sell out. But really fantastic, especially if you are a person who likes space and exploration. Just beautiful. read more

Decided to finally check this place out on a snowy afternoon. Opened in July 2018, it features a state of the art planetarium as well as the more traditional natural history museum. Its a blend of space science and natural history. The building is beautiful and airy and everything you'd expect in a modern museum. Its a great blend of the historic (1940's era dioramas brought to life in clever new ways) and modern (search for life in the solar system). There are hand's on items to explore and a few cringe worthy critters in the Explore Lab like cockroaches, snakes and tarantulas. We spent around 3 hours including attending a show. But the centerpiece of the building - and literally in the center - is the planetarium with seating for maybe a hundred. While we had no trouble buying tickets on site, we were visiting on a slow weekday. There were several different "shows" throughout the day. We went to the 1:30 show centered around space exploration in which the audience votes on where to explore (Mars vs Saturn) and how best to get there. It's geared to inquisitive school groups and does a good job of illustrating some of the science behind these types of adventures. IT lasted about an hour. We also enjoyed the special "wicked plants" exhibit highlighting the toxic nature of ordinary plants-fascinating and creepy. I was really impressed with this museum and would definitely bring out of town guests of any age for a visit in the future. read more

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This was my first visit to the Bell Museum of natural history. The building is beautiful and the inside is airy, open and aesthetic. We took a stroll through the creation of the universe into the beginning of Minnesota. I was particularly impressed by the short video found behind the Mammoth which features the beautiful photographs and video by a Minnesotan photographer. The pictures/videos were phenomenal. We also got to take a look at the sun through some outdoor telescopes (this little patio area was a nice place to sit too). We didn't visit the planetarium because we didn't want to pay more at the time, but I kept hearing how great it was. If I come again, I'll see a show for sure. This would, no doubt, be a great place to come with kids on a field trip. read more

Bell Museum - Obligatory Mammoth picture - Museums Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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My family and I really liked this place. Everything is very realistic. Thanks to the staff for the cozy atmosphere. I recommend it to everyone. read more

Loved the open airy architecture and the amazing detailed dioramas. Came specifically to sketch the life size wooly mammoth in all its glory. Can't wait to come back and sketch the other animals. read more

Bell Museum - Having fun sketching the woolly mammoth! - Museums Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

My son and I visited this museum for free for a yelp event. I'm not much of a space fanatic so I just skimmed this area. The dioramas were super cool and 3 Dimensional. I didn't do the planetarium as I didn't want to wait another hour. This museum is educational and seems like a perfect place for a school field trip. read more

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I haven't went to a museum in quite some time so I was excited to visit Bell Museum one hot summer day. I went for an after hours Apollo event. They have a parking lot next to the museum that was $5. I went a bit early so there was plenty of parking but if it is peak hours it may fill up quick. There is a rock garden outside and also plenty of flowers around the parking lot and in the garden area. Walking in, the front desk is on the left next to the curiosity shop. Definitely check this out! There are a lot of neat items for purchase. Check the drawers and you'll find the beautiful crystal display! The gal running the counter was very professional and polite. She was the one who pointed out the drawer to me as well as a few other interesting drawers. I had to hold it together or I would have bought 3 of the crystals for sure. They also have a decent selection for food and drink items as well. There are wraps, sandwiches, an espresso machine, and a few sweets. There is a relaxing lounge next to the shop as well to sit down for a bit. There was an Apollo talk in The Nucleus room I believe they call it. They hooked up the TV in the lounge to project the live feed of the talk so I was able to watch in a comfy spot that was away from the crowd. On the main floor they have a coat room, interactive space with neat activities, micrometeorite exhibit, and a neat space with a few animals. They also have a ton of other bugs and animals on display with an earth exhibit. Don't forget to check out the rooftop as they have two telescopes you can see the sun in as well as some seating if you want to take a rest. Great spot to view the pond and rock garden from above too. The staff were very nice and helpful. The first floor by the entrance seems a bit empty with the large open space but there is a decent amount to see throughout and I could see if it is busy this would be a nice place to gather with a group. I would like to go back and check out a planetarium show as I've heard they are pretty great. If you have kids there are a few things to keep them entertained and busy too. read more

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I was very impressed with the Bell Museum, This was my first visit to a natural history museum and it did not disappoint. Unfortunately the planetarium was closed because of a technical problem, but there is still more than enough to keep you entertained. There are too many interesting things to list, but my favorite exhibit was the wildlife dioramas., The murals behind them are beautiful and many of them depict a very specific Minnesota location. You can see wolves in a spot in a park that you may remember visiting, The tundra swan diorama in particular was interesting because the landscape behind them is a rendering of the area now occupied by the Mall of America, The woolly mammoth display is literally the elephant in the room. It's massive! The Bell Museum has something for almost everyone. It's a great place to take kids. It made me feel like a kid again. read more

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I'm not really sure why this museum only has four stars! We are moving away to Washington so we are taking the time to visit all the museums that we haven't seen while living in Minnesota. This museum was the first one we went to this lovely morning. Parking was good (they have a parking lot right next to it) the staff is all super friendly and answered all of our questions about displays and their critters in the touch section. They have plenty of fun interactive things to do for both kids and adults. Their animal displays are incredible! Over all would definitely go again, especially with kids! read more

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Talk about a hidden gem! How did I just find out about the Bell Museum?? I'll take that back, I have heard of the museum, but never was really drawn to it, it seemed small and not worth my visit. HOW WRONG I WAS! This place is a wonderful (although small) natural history museum. Regardless of size, there is plenty to see and do for at least a couple hours. The detail and craft that goes into their dioramas rival those of the Chicago Natural History Museum and the Smithsonian. No kidding, it was like looking out a window and getting extremely up close and personal to animals you can find in Minnesota. They also have a great touch and play area for kids and adults to explore the natural world. Not all the animals are stuffed, they are some live lizards, insects, fish, and snakes too. Parking can be found on the street (not too many spots close by, but within walking distance) or parking garage. The only downside this place has is that it is a little bit hard to find unless you know the U of M campus well. It is situated on campus and covered by ivy and tall bushes, so keep yer eyes open for it as you drive past the Armory on Church Street. read more

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My son and I got to attend a free event to experience the new museum. We were both pretty excited to go. He really enjoyed the movie all about Minnesota wilderness, from plants and trees to the animals of MN. We were pretty bummed that we missed the planetarium showing. There could have been better, communication. A ticket for a time had to be picked up at the front desk. We didn't realize that so when we showed up for (the last showing of the evening) we were told it was sold out;(. All in all it was a good experience for my 10 year old. read more

I have been dying to go here and finally had the chance to check it out, I didn't really know what to expect. We got to see reptiles and there is even an opportunity to pet them all unfortunately when we arrived (evening) all of the snakes were on break, the kids thought it was awesome there was so much to look at and interact with. The staff were friendly and VERY informative. We learned a lot during our visit. My kids had such a blast exploring and learning new things. The grounds outside are beautiful to explore as well. read more

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Bell Museum is OPEN! I went during opening weekend and would recommend this museum to anyone that loves science. Kids would love it since they got hands on experiences. You can pet a snake and see old fossils. Great for adults as well! The Bell Museum has a wide variety of exhibits. You can learn about the Minnesota landscape and the dioramas. There's a planetarium! I enjoyed the No Limits show. The seating area is super cool and you feel immerse in space. Fun place! The building is super modern and everything is brand new. The glass protecting the dioramas are so new, you can barely notice it. Also, the mammoth exhibit is really cool. It gives you a perspective on how large these animals were! read more

Bell Museum - Museums Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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Nerd alert! If you like science and nature, you will probably love this new museum on the St. Paul campus. We came on a busy weekend day, so we had to use the remote parking lot (behind Spire Credit Union) and take the shuttle. It's not really that far and we could have walked but decided to try the shuttle for the fun of it. The staff were friendly/knowledgeable and the museum clean. It's full of light and air, unlike the Bell Museums previous home on the Minneapolis campus. Come explore at the Bell Museum! read more

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A very nice museum- planetarium is fun! I would start upstairs and go down! You do have to pay for parking FYI!

What a beautiful museum. I came here because I heard about the Moon/Apollo exhibit. Being newly built, it's very clean and well maintained. The staff are kind and friendly, also very helpful. There's fun activities for kids to do. There's also the planetarium if you want to check that out. Highly recommend for kids. read more

Bell Museum - Museums Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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I think the Bell Museum is a nice museum overall. I wasn't particularly impressed with the planetarium and it's presentation. The touch exhibit and the animals are what really makes it. But it can also be a little spendy when you account for admission and parking. My disdain for the parking is admittedly a little colored by the fact that I am currently waiting for someone with the keys to the machine so they can release my card. Apparently I'm not exactly the first person to have issues with the parking machines and I really wish they would have fixed it by now. Otherwise they have pleasant staff and some fun exhibits and are worth at least a couple of visits. Update: I am finally free and the person who let me out and retrieved my card was very nice. read more

Bell Museum - Bug - Museums Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Went to the bell Museum with a group of 4h The staff doing the tours are very informative and made sure to answer every question we had. But it is a smaller museum and I wouldn't recommend it for children under 8 because it is a little more complicated and not so hands on. But I sure enjoyed my time! read more

Bell Museum - Museums Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Wow!! As much character and history the old Bell has, its hard not to be amazed at this beautiful new location. It's very nice and still has the wonderful taxidermy dioramas. I didn't get a chance to visit the planetarium, but I am so excited to have one in the metro again! read more

A great place to take curious children and to learn about North American wildlife and geology. The great old building is just too dated for a modern museum and people tend to not like the level changes, (hold Grandma's arm) and circuitous pathways and sometimes dimmed lighting. The area has been used for meetings and tours and public gatherings with wines and hor d' oeuvres. There are some excellent displays of species in their natural setting and some interesting dioramas of the ice age and geologic history. read more

Bell Museum - Future site of new Bell Museum. Cleveland & Larpenteur in Falcon Heights, Mn - Museums Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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A wonderful way to spend the afternoon! We got the chance to check out Bell Museum through yelp and had such a lovely time! I love how most of the exhibits are hands on and allow you to interact with what you are learning. The building itself is gorgeous, and the people here are so nice and down to Earth! We got to see some cool reptiles and bugs. The cockroaches creeped me out, but the snakes and scorpion were so neat! We got to look through telescopes, see a giant mammoth, we especially had fun learning from their guest speaker Becka Rahm who showed us a bit about creating fabrics and threads from raw materials. We made some cool bracelets with wool! I cannot wait to come back and spend more time here playing with everything. My two year old had a blast touching everything. If you have a free afternoon, definitely stop at the Bell museum! read more

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They have something here for everyone, but the real star of the show is the exhibits about Minnesota animals, including some taxidermy specimens and some life-sized replicas of prehistoric animals like the wooly mammoth. They are always having cool events for kids and adults so you should check that out before your visit! Also, when I lived nearby, their gift shop was a prime place for me to get gifts for nerdy friends. read more

Spent the last 15 minutes of open hours walking around some of the galleries and I was impressed. So many visual displays with concise descriptions. Lots of wildlife and flora on display. Entry fee is a fair price. I'm definitely coming back to spend a lot of time taking it all in, as well as planning to see the planetarium presentations. Even the outdoor space by the pond is beautiful. read more

Bell Museum - Large wildlife displays - Museums Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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