Fun but not really worth the price for the time you spend. Some very interesting illusions that are…read moremind scrambling! Fun pictures though!

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.

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.

We have never been here before but I've known about it for years. We were invited for a birthday…read moreparty which we didn't even know they did but it was so much fun. They had a private room with an activity for the kids. You are allowed to bring in food and drinks but make sure you don't make a mess. They provided plates and silverware. You only get the room for a couple hours. It was pretty busy with other parties that day we went but the museum itself wasn't too crowded. Kids are allowed to stay until museum close if they would like. Great place for older kids, can't really picture babies and toddlers here. Great place for kids to learn STEM skills and get off the tablets. Not so much for running around since the place isn't too big. I could see my kids spending many hours here. Perfect for my son and daughter since they love building things. Their favorite was the rocket launch and legos. I love the decor here! It's so bright and colorful. The bathrooms are great! So clean and individual stalls. The sink reminds me of elementary school so there was that nostalgia. They offer memberships and you can come try it out first, individual tickets are $14 and that can be applied to membership if you liked it. Lots of parking. Building only has one small sign outside so it's a bit inconspicuous.

Easy to get to and the place feels clean and cared for. This is important when your kids are…read moretouching everything. Though not as big as I was expecting, it wasn't overcrowded on a Saturday late morning into afternoon. There are many different activists where your kiddos can learn through play--from power/electricity to building to music and more. They have party rooms that you can use which was awesome to have a place to eat and celebrate the birthday boy. The staff was receptive and attentive to both the parents and kids. You can just come an play, book a party or get a membership, and they have summer camps too. During the party the kids got to do a fun activity too!

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.

We had driven by this museum countless times over the years and were so glad to finally check it…read moreout. The museum used to be an old San Antonio mission style church constructed in the 1920's. It was really cool how it was converted into a museum. The museum houses art from both pre and post Soviet Era. They had a really amazing visiting exhibit called the Violins of Hope that featured violins crafted and played by Holocaust Jews. It was a great day to spend the morning.

This is a focused, unique but not peculiar museum. They have handsomely repurposed a church,…read morecreating several gallery spaces. The anchor paintings in their permanent collection are worthy, plus they feature several sets of Russian nesting dolls, most of which featuring cats--which is cool. We caught their outstanding show of USSR propaganda posters. The objects are interesting (most are in great condition) plus the wall text is illuminating. Definitely worth a visit.

Today the James J. Hill house was the starting point for the Summit Avenue Walking Tour by the…read moreMinnesota Historical Society. Thoroughly informative and enjoyable. Josef was knowledgeable and a charming storyteller. The tour lasts 90 minutes and covers 1.5 miles of walking. One of the highlights was seeing the park where F. Scott Fitzgerald grew up playing baseball and the Commodore Hotel behind it where he and Zelda were often socializing. We saw multiple Victorian era architectural styles including Queen Anne, Romanesque, and Tudor Revival. Lots of historical stories, an enjoyable walk, highly recommend!

Very cute historical house. The tour was really informative and you got to see parts of the house…read morethat you can't see by walking through yourself. The kitchen and boiler room were especially cool to see.

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!

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!

This is such a fun activity to do as part of an outing to Lake Harriet, especially with kids! While…read moreit's only a 15 minute activity, it's a TON of fun, and both of our kids loved every minute. It was also really neat to learn more about the streetcar lines from the volunteers, and to see a little bit of the area that's hard to visit on bike or foot. The price is super reasonable at $3 per person (babies are free). While I would not make a special trip here just to ride the street car, it's an awesome additional activity to eating at Bread and Pickle, walking around the lake or kayaking/boating on it, or playing in the playground!

Disclaimer: I am an (unpaid) volunteer streetcar operator (i.e. driver) for the Minnesota…read moreStreetcar Museum. The actual Museum is in Excelsior, but there are two locations that have a streetcar you can ride. If you would like to be transported back in time, I recommend a ride on a streetcar at either Lake Harriet (the "Harriet-Como Line") or in Excelsior. I can speak to the streetcar experience at the location at Lake Harriet, since that's where I volunteer. The ride starts and stops near the lakeside pavilion, at 42nd Street and Queen Avenue South. There is train depot from which you can buy tokens (currently $2.50 for a round trip -- kids under four are free), souvenirs, and some candy. You can use a credit card to pay, but cash is not accepted. There are currently two Streetcars in operation. One was built in 1908 and was used until the Streetcars were discontinued in 1954 in favor of buses. The more "modern" streetcar was built in 1947. The Excelsior location has other models. The best part about driving a streetcar is to see the smiles on the faces of the children. Parents and grandparents delight in sharing this experience with younger people and also enjoy a cool breeze on a hot Minnesota day. This ride is something that routinely surpasses the expectations of riders. Round trip tokens can be purchased at the Depot (called the Linden Hills Station), and they are the original tokens used when the streetcars ran. Drop your token into the faire collector box by the driver and pick a seat. The trolly goes to Lake Bde Maka Ska and back. Feel free to depart at Bde Maka Ska and return later (no extra charge). You will then continue back past the Depot and stop at the "Car Barn" where the streetcars are parked at night). It will then return to the Depot for the end of the ride. A ride is approximately 20 minutes long.