This was the first time I have been to the Bell Museum and it was all thanks to Yelp for letting my wife, me, and two guests to come for free. I am really glad that we got the opportunity to come because the four of us had a lot of fun while we were there! Here are some of the highlights. Exhibits: The Bell Museum has a lot to offer inside its doors and some of the those include a touch & see room, space experiences, and a lot of animal facts and displays. There is also an observatory but we didn't have time to visit but we hear it is a great experience. Let me break down the rooms a little bit. The touch & see room has a lot of animal bones, animal furs, live animals, and displayed stuffed animals. You can touch almost everything in the room besides the alive animals. It was pretty cool to pick up bones and feel what real animal furs feel like. We didn't spend too much time in this room because it was busy on our visit. The animal exhibit upstairs was my favorite part. They have a lot of stuffed animals on display including wolves, exotic birds, a moose, fish, crustaceans, bugs, and many more. They are all in display cases but are all displayed very well. There is also a huge life sized mammoth as well that was very cool to see. Last is the space section and we thought it was pretty cool but we didn't spend too much time there. There are some games you can play and some videos to watch which is cool but we liked looking at the real animals more. One thing that was really cool is that we got to look at the real sun through telescopes on different lenses that won't hurt your eyes. They had a lot of great things to show us! Staff: Every staff member we encountered was great! We had people just walk up to us and explain exhibits or displays to us and even offer to take photos of us. We had a great guy explain a space shuttle launch to us and give us some planet posters as well. The staff were a great plus to our experience at the Bell Museum. Overall this was a great experience for the four of us. We had fun playing games and looking at all the exhibits. The staff is great and they do have some great things on display. The only downside is that parking is not great and it is a far drive out. Besides that we will go back to the observatory and to check out the gift shop more. read more

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Came during their Apollo Anniversary, they had a great exhibit going on in the area where you can feel and look at different items, they had moon rocks that you could take a look at through the microscope. Everybody that was there during the Apollo exhibit was very well knowledgable. Any volunteer or worked we had interaction with was amazing. It's a great museum, on the smaller end of course, couldn't spend a whole day here I don't think, even if you read every sign. Loved the telescopes by the solar system exhibit where you would match the dots on the telescope and clarify your view to see the small picture they had hidden somewhere. Worth checking out, especially now since they have the Apollo stuff, but the usually natural history stuff such as the giant mammoth is always awesome too! read more

Bell Museum - Museums Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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If you go to this museum, you should buy combo ticket which is for both exhibits and planetarium for $17/adult. It's very educational and fun for children for sure!! There's no restaurant in museum, but there's a lounge space so you can bring snacks/small meal to eat. Also, there are many staff on each exhibits, so if you have any questions you can ask them anytime!! read more

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Between the relocation and covid masks, we had waited a LONG time to visit the new Bell Museum. The building is stunning, the dioramas are still breathtaking and so realistic you want to just walk right in. They have created very imaginative ways to display artifacts We arrived at opening time and the crowds were very light but by noon it was starting to feel a little busy. I know it's not the Children's Museum, but I think there could be more interactive displays for kids. The reason for only 4 stars...There is a great Touch & Feel Room. There are attendants who offer interesting details and information to the kids. However, they are obsessively rigid regarding the display materials. If the human jaw is placed onto the cow jaw, they swoop in and get all the pieces back in proper order. And don't even think of moving the human figure from the "build a diorama" display to the foam block table. Twice they took things out of my 3 yr olds hands and (gently) reprimanded him and then we left. I don't want chaos but it seems there could be a bit more relaxed attitude. read more

Awesome for a rainy day. Lots of info. Walking around was nice. The grounds outside are worth exploring.

When you're so used to the overpriced Chicago museums, it's nice to find a museum that is small but quality, and the admission price isn't crazy. $17 per person for the museum and the planetarium show ($12 if you want to skip the planetarium show) and $5 to park in their lot. All the employees in the museum are University of Minnesota students (and I think the museum is funded through the university) and their name badges will tell you what their major is and what year they're in. Overall, a fun place to see. Kids would really like the touch and see room! read more

The new space and renovated dioramas are wonderful. We spent 2 hours there and plan to go back. Next visit we will bring our granddaughter because it's a great space for kids. The exhibits work for all ages and level of interest and understanding . As has been discussed in local news all the models of animals look so much brighter now that they have been restored. Each diorama has a touch screen with names and information on what you are viewing. They should have more than one of these per diorama because many people want to use them and only one group can use them at a time. The surrounding grounds are rustic and lovely . There is a small plaza with sculptures of wildlife as well. I like that the commercial areas ( food and small gift store) are not overdone or the center of attention . We did not visit the planetarium. read more

How did I miss you, Bell Museum? Despite spending a total of six years at the U of MN (4 undergrad, 2 grad) I never wandered in. I don't have much excuse for this since I wandered by the museum plenty of times, just not on Sunday. Pro tip, the museum is free on Sunday although I did put some money in the donation box. The Bell Museum has a number of dioramas, interactive displays and a soil exhibit. Each of the dioramas can be admired on it's own as a piece of art and have an explanation about the scene portrayed including the animals and terrain. When I said piece of art I am not joking, many of the backgrounds for the dioramas are beautifully painted and could be reproduced as prints and hung on the wall of your house. The Bell is a great place to stop by for kids and adults. read more

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If you're looking for something to do on a Sunday afternoon, considering stopping by the Bell Museum of Natural History for their free admission day. We visited the museum on the recommendation of a former student who used to spend his lunch hour eating a sandwich on one of the museum benches, staring at the exhibits. That was a long time ago and I don't think food is allowed any longer...so don't get any ideas. Wow, we were impressed. The time and effort that has been poured into each exhibit just about blew us away. Each one depicts an animal or plant native to Minnesota in its natural habitat in a mixture of both diorama and painting. This was helpful for me because being from Texas, I needed to learn what kind of weird animals are up here. One of my favorites was the completely wooden carving of two cranes. Just didn't appear to be made of wood at all...so well done. Come stop by sometime...you won't regret it! read more

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CLOSED. The Bell is closed and will be reopening in 2018 in a totally different location, so it's an odd choice to start off my 2017 reviews perhaps, but it's not like The Bell is closed FOREVER. Just...18 months or so. Anyhow, Bell, I'll miss you. I'll miss you being the perfect place to entertain 5-6 adults and one toddler. Older kids can have fun here too, and there are even special adult only events, but do you know a toddler? Especially a toddler from out of town visiting grandparents and a few other aunts and uncels? Especially when some of those adults can reminisce about their UMN days? There was never a better place to go. Thanks Bell. read more

The University of Minnesota's Bell Museum is a fun and family-friendly natural history museum focusing on the creation of the universe and some Minnesota-specific ecology. The first half of the museum's main exhibition (on the upper floor) discusses the creation of the universe, the Earth, and life on Earth. The museum is, as to be expected, quite naturalistic / Darwinian in its what it asserts as truth. It has fun exhibitions showing our solar system, how different elements are formed via nuclear fusion inside the stars, and then the theory of how those elements gave rise to the first life on earth. The museum then fast forwards for a few billion years to focus specifically on life in ancient Minnesota (think wooly mammoths and the ice age). Learn about how ancient climate change turned Minnesota into the ecologically diverse state it is today, replete with different biomes and types of wildlife. After exploring this main exhibition on the upper floor, there are some additional side-attractions on the lower floor. A few rooms talk about climate - what it is, which different types we have in the US and in the world, and how living creatures are affected by it and adapt to it. Then, a separate few rooms on the opposite side of the floor feature fun "touch-able" attractions (e.g., animal pelts and skeletons, plus other interactive games) for kids and kids-at-heart. I didn't visit the giant planetarium in the center of the museum, since that costs extra. But they feature a film about every 90 minutes, so if that sounds fun to you, pick up tickets in advance or when you first arrive. Overall, the Bell Museum is a small-but-mighty community museum great for children, scholars, and anyone who's just generally curious and loves to learn! Check it out. read more

This place is a little hard to find but it's fun getting lost around here since all the buildings are so cool. The museum is very reasonably priced think it was around $5 and they do have a free day on Sundays I think. It wasn't very busy so you could browse at your own pace. I liked the area where they show you how the exhibits are created...a glimpse be hind the scenes if you may. The basement was the best with the green materials exhibit. They showed how houses used to be made and then contrasted the materials to more energy efficient ones. Fascinating stuff. The green house was on display when I went and it's tour was included in the ticket price. It was the icing on the learning cake! read more

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The taxidermy dioramas are lovely. So realistic. Be advised that the planetarium presentation is a 30 minute cartoon with a 15 minute constellations presentation and only focusing on 6 constellations based on the time of year. They covered summer constellations yesterday. I thoroughly enjoyed the constellations more than the cartoon. I prepped my class on all the constellations and was disappointed that the presentation was only 15 minutes. They should let you know that! My students and I were hoping to see more constellations. read more

I enjoyed this museum. It's a smaller museum in the U of M campus, but it is still interesting to visit. I think they have a great layout of local animals to view. The touch and feel area was really cool to check out skins, bones, and other items. It's nice because you can check it all out in an afternoon and not feel like you missed so many displays. read more

Bell Museum - I just can't "bear" the cuteness. - Museums Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Even though I went to the U of M, I didn't know the Bell Museum was there. I wish I hadn't missed it. Its a really classic space with natural history dioramas from the early 20th century. Because of the age and the static nature of the dioramas kids might not be as engaged here as they would be in a newer museum. But because they have a touch and learn area upstairs and they have exhibit space downstairs there is plenty to do for young ones. Throughout the museum they show how we have learned more about nature since the exhibits were created, and they have a room where they show you how they made the exhibits in the past. They are working really hard to make this classic museum compete with newer ones and I think its working. Adults will like the nostalgia, and the beautiful architecture. read more

This place was HORRIBLE. The best part was walking up the stairs, that was also the most entertaining. The planetarium an exploration of boredom and the seats didnt go back far enough. The staff wasnt enjoyable and pretty rude over all. None of them made the experience enjoyable in the slightest. Honestly it feels more like a claustrophobic hospital than an enjoyable museum. Overall the whole museum was extremely disappointing and everyone agrees they would have rather been at work, than at this museum. read more

The Church St building is closed permanently, but the Bell Museum + Planetarium will reopen in July 2018 at its brand new building at 2088 Larpenteur Ave W in Falcon Heights, on the St Paul campus of the University of Mn. When it opens, it will contain lots of new exhibits on the natural history of Minnesota, as well as many of the classic wildlife dioramas moved from the old building, and a brand new Touch and See Lab. Finally, there will be a 120 seat permanent, state-of-the-art PLANETARIUM instead of the tiny inflatable one they have been using for years. There will also be an entire section of astronomy exhibits. Check out their web site at bellmuseum.umn.edu for more. read more

First, this is a beautiful building with all materials carefully selected by the architect to be Minnesota native materials--it's pretty spectacular. The staff here are great very knowledgeable and helpful. The exhibits are a great blend of old and new. Excellent place for families. I was pretty bummed that they charge 5.00 for parking as I felt that was steep in an area where parking is generally free? Only reason for 4 stars. The planetarium is neat and I am not sure there is really a bad seat in the theater. If you leave during the show--you are not getting back in. All and all it was a great day. The Woolly mammoth is also a great photo opportunity. read more

Bell Museum - Woolly mammoth - Museums Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

I visited the Bell Museum of Natural History recently and I wasn't sure what to expect. The building itself was constructed in the 1930's ( I believe) and still has that old feel to it with great sculptured pillars and unique lighting on the wall. The exhibits are great and they have a lot of hands on things..you can try on a "bear" coat to see what it would be like to be a black bear and have many other things. You can also rent out the museum for a private event and it's a great space! I highly recommend checking it out if you are looking for something to do in the Twin Cities! read more

This is a small but really nice museum on the UofM campus that focuses on the native wildlife and birds throughout the state. There are a number of beautifully constructed dioramas that feature their subjects in portrayals of their daily life, several interactive exhibits, a "touch and see" room that lets you handle fossils, bones, horns, and other interesting items, and a small art gallery on the top floor that has items on display and for sale.You can easily cover the entire museum in around an hour if you're mostly interested in the displays, and perhaps another 1/2 hour if you plan to see one of the planetarium shows. Admission is inexpensive, though the planetarium in the basement is an additional ticket, and free on Sundays or any time for students. The only really major complaint I've got is that the building doesn't have much in the way of A/C - we visited on a fairly muggy summer afternoon, and the fans scattered around the different exhibits really weren't enough to combat the heat. It didn't quite make us cut our visit short, but it was a real relief to get into the car and crank up the A/C! read more

Good but creepy lol. It had the feeling of an old building walking through the door, but after paying (what I thought was kind of a high price ($8), was directed to go down a floor and walk around. Me and two friends soon found ourselves in a coldly lit, eerily quiet room with hundreds of dead animals. They were positioned appropriately, and told a story, but after the first few hundred, we went up a floor and there were a few hundred more. It didn't feel dangerous, it didn't smell, it was just a constant question of how this animal died and came to be in this place. The birds, the beavers, the moose. That poor moose. Hunting is disturbing. The story they told, not worth it. I don't know why I would take anyone here. They didn't do anything wrong, though, so I can't rate it below a 3. But it's only for a certain type of person. read more

This is the anit-dote to those of us who are too cheap and burned out by mobs of people to really enjoy big ticket museums like the Minnesota Science Museum. This small scale "natural history" museum almost belongs in a museum itself. They just don't make em like this amymore, from the masterful art deco architecture and fixtures to the diorama's filled with original paintings and taxidermy. The idea of seeing a bunch of stuffed dead animals may seem creepy and Norman Bates-ish to you, (it was to me at first) but after a while I really started to dig the whole thing. The museum is focused on Minnesota, and almost all of the exhibits are depictions of real places in Minnesota (as they looked around 1920 when the dioramas were completed). The descriptions are informative without being too long. You can get through the whole thing in a couple of hours, which is nice. Going to big museums can be overwhelming and mentally exhausting. You will have a real understanding of wildlife, ecology and landscape of Minnesota when you're done. (Obviously, though the dioramas are almost a hundred years old, the information about the exhibits is fairly current). They've gone out of their way to compete with bigger museums by making a "touch and feel" room and some more interactive exhibits to appeal to kids. We went there with our four year old who was just glad to have a big space to move around on a rainy day. It was nice for us since everything was behind glass or else it was designed to be played with so we didn't worry about him ruining anything. The highlight was the exhibit in the gallery space called "Hungry Planet" which depicted food eaten around the world. They had a little "Market" there for kids with fake food from around the world that you could pretend to shop for and make into a meal. My kid loved that and it gave my husband and I enough to time really enjoy the whole photography exhibit. As U employees the Bell Museum was pretty much a free outing. Even if we hadn't gotten in free the admission was very reasonable. read more

The Bell Museum is a small, but very nice museum filled with impressive and realistic dioramas of mostly-local flora and fauna. There are plenty of interactive exhibits in which visitors can touch and feel bones, fur and fossils. The staff is knowledgeable and helpful. The building itself has a lot of character, built in the 1800s, and is surrounded by beautiful sculptures and landscaping. There is a small gift shop featuring fun and quirky items ranging from paper models to finger puppets of famous scientists. We did not see a planetarium show, but there is a planetarium in the museum. Shows cost a small fee in addition to the reasonable $6 admission price. My only complaint is the lack of air conditioning. read more

The new Bell is amazing. Clean, updated and sharp. The kids love the planetarium shows and hands on learning. The touch room is a favorite. read more

They don't actually have a lot in the collection. It's mostly tpuch items for kids or explanations about things or recreations. I would have loved some dinosaur or mammotj fossils. It's a beautiful building complete with planetarium. A decent little place-- just not that much to see read more

I went here today for a gift. The girl at the desk was quite knowledgeable and nice. She gave me lots of info, went above and beyond with my odd request and I left a happy customer in under 10 minutes. Thanks again, Bell! read more

A great place to go bring the kids educational Be fully answered questions people were very pleasant

Went on free Sunday and found that was a great day to go. I couldn't imagine paying regular admission costs to see the displays. But that being said, my toddler loved the touch and feel room because he could touch bones, rocks, stuffed animals, tree stumps, etc. I'm excited for the move to falcon heights next year, hope the planetarium is nice. read more

Old school but very interesting. Great for elementery school and preschool ages.

My parents were both U of M grads (Civil Engr & Home Ec) and our family visits to the Twin Cities from the Iron Range in the 1950's and 60's (usually coinciding with the State Fair or a Gopher football game) were not complete without a visit to the Bell Museum. My brother, sister and I loved the place! I'm glad to know the museum itself is being "preserved" in more or less its original state, and will have to bring my grandkids down for a visit. THANX read more