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    The Bakken Museum

    4.5 (42 reviews)
    Open 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

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    Leah S.

    We had a great time at the Bakken museum with our 6 year olds. I would note that this is probably the youngest age I would take our kids, but they loved it and we spent a good 2 hours there. There are many hands on activities including building blocks, making music, and electricity. Also, there's a fun hunt for legos in each room!

    The first room you enter from the entrance, where there are several activities to explore animation and light.
    Neil S.

    Came here with my partner over the Memorial Day weekend, the Bakken is in a really pretty part of the Chain of Lakes next to Bde Maka Ska. The exterior garden is really well done, but most of the enjoyment comes from the activities inside. It's well designed for kids and parents, with some fun interactive exhibits that let kids experience with animation and color. The Mary Shelly/Frankenstein exhibit is additionally interesting. One of the best things for us, honestly, was the Lego person scavenger hunt. The staff have hidden historical figures throughout the museum and many a child (and adult!) spent an hour or two trying to find them. Some are easier to find than others so be warned to check every corner and nook!

    Missi V.

    For some reason hearing that we were invited to go to the Bakken Museum didn't make feel like I was going enjoy it. It sounds like it was going to be a cold dark type of museum if you catch my drift. I WAS TOTALLY WRONG. I should've done my research and then I would've saw that it was actually a really beautiful property. Across the street from Lake Bde Maka Ska was The Bakken Museum so the views were beautiful. Walking in you are greeted by friendly staff and a beautiful SPARK sign. There are so many different activities that will SPARK your inner innovator my little one's loved the magnetic music wheel and the collaboration canvas. My teenager loved the animation station and Mary and Her Monster. SPARK was really fun but the best parts for us all was the Benjamin Franklin's electricity party exhibit. Its literally quite "shocking"! They have a lego scavenger hunt and on the weekends they have fun science activities for children of all ages. The Keva planks are also so much fun to build with. They counter balance themselves so it's easier to build things with it falling down. One of the staff members named Jayne was so so so amazing with my kids she was patient kind and so full of knowledge. She made the experience even better. Another staff member spoke with us and was so informative about The history of the home before it was turned into a museum it was really quite interesting and he gave us some really cool fun facts about it's background. The home was really nicely done for it's time. I enjoyed walking about and looking. The garden was beautiful and peaceful. It's just a glimpse of what is now history. Our experience was really wonderful I look forward to going back with my kids soon.

    Beautiful stone work outside
    Kathryn E.

    A visit to this museum had been on my bucket list since moving to Minnesota in 2018 and we finally made it happen! Earl Bakken, the inventor of the pacemaker and founder of Medtronic, purchased this mansion as a place to display things he'd collected over the years. In time, the mansion became the Bakken Museum, with a mission to nurture a love of science in all who visit. There are lots of hands-on displays for kids of all ages. My kids loved the scavenger. I loved the outdoor garden area and the home itself. Parking is free. Staff is super friendly and helpful Great learning opportunities and a good spot for field trips! Click here to read more about it: https://kathrynegly.com/2022/01/27/explore-the-bakken-museum-win-tickets-to-visit/ Here's my Minnesota Bucket list: https://kathrynegly.com/2018/08/01/my-top-25-minnesota-bucket-list/

    Mary J.

    We stopped in here on a visit to Minneapolis. Son #4 thought it would be a cool place to stop in as well as hubby (engineers). I'm always down for checking out a new place, so we had some fun here. First of all, the building is beautiful! They have a brochure telling you all about its history and you can rent it out for a special event. The grounds are well kept and there is a free parking lot in the back. They have night time outings for grown ups here. Inside they have lots of hands on exhibits as well as volunteers helping you out with them. This is perfect if you have a STEM kid, albeit my college freshman was a bit older and taller than the other visitors. We had a good time upstairs at the Ben Franklin Electricity exhibit. There were lots of things to try and hubby and son were talking about lots of technical stuff as a result. The Frankenstein room was also very interesting but it was something to watch, not really participate in. Everything in this place is clean and looks fairly new, the upkeep is great! If I still had a school age kid, this would be on my rotation of outings during the winter and I would get a membership. Places like this need help financially as well as manpower, so if you are in the area, think about it. Thanks for the fun!

    Susan M.

    So much fun to check out the Bakken on a quiet snowy MN afternoon! Lots of fun, interactive exhibitions. Hands on science, exploring electricity, physics, sound and medicine. Downstairs there is a neat Frankenstein exhibit that explores the science behind the story, info on Mary Shelley's life and an automated performance from her book. The Bakken is housed in a beautiful 1920's mansion with gothic architecture and wood carvings near Bde Maka Ska. Parking lot is free for visitors, friendly staff. Currently only 5 dollars because part of the museum is under construction. Definitely will check out in warmer months to see the medicinal gardens and new areas after construction.

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    11 months ago

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    Thank you for visiting us David!

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    Thanks for visiting and your review, Alexis!

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    We're glad you enjoyed your visit. Thanks for leaving a review, Neil!

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    Thanks for the review, Heather!

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    9 years ago

    A great destination for families! Electricity, magnetism, health, & wellness... If your kids are competitive they will love Mindball!

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    Top-notch. Lived in Minneapolis for years before trying this. A great mix for kids and adults.

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    Review Highlights - The Bakken Museum

    The Frankenstein exhibit was really interesting and a few of the more interactive exhibits were a lot of fun.

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    Foshay Museum And Observation Deck - Exit door to the observation deck

    Foshay Museum And Observation Deck

    4.2(48 reviews)
    3.5 miDowntown Minneapolis

    I used to work across the street from the Foshay - was there about ~9yrs and never checked out this…read moregem. I did go during Doors Open which is probably the busiest time to go. They have 1 elevator that goes straight up to the 30th floor. The details on the doors and around the building were amazing. Once you get up to the 30th floor there's a small museum where you can learn more about the tower. Then you take a few stairs up to get out to the observation deck. I will say it's pretty tight up there. Not ideal for big groups that can't separate. Each direction has a look out otherwise you can just look through the bars. For sure a cool place to visit at least once.

    I love learning about a building's history, so it's nice that the Foshay Tower has this small…read moremuseum to share theirs. The building was built in 1929 and was modeled after the Washington Monument in DC. At the time it was the tallest building in the Midwest and it stayed that way for 48 years. Wilbur Foshay was an art student turned businessman who made his money with utility companies. Just six weeks after the building opened, the great depression started and the building was auctioned off. Foshay was accused and convicted of fraud, sent to prison, then later pardoned and let out early. The building was offices for many years, until 2006 when it was turned into a hotel. The observation deck at the top gives a great view of the city. You can walk a full 360° path around the 30th floor exterior. It is a little narrow, can be slippery in inclement weather, and needs some TLC (to remove graffiti etc). It is $18 to visit, or free if you are staying at the hotel. They've always charged a fee to ride the elevators: in 1929 the fee was $0.50. Adjusting for inflation that would be about $9.50 today. I think the $5-10 range would be more appropriate for a visit. It doesn't take too long to experience the whole thing, maybe an hour at most.

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    Foshay Museum And Observation Deck - Buildings

    Buildings

    Foshay Museum And Observation Deck - Great views

    Great views

    Foshay Museum And Observation Deck - Pardoning of Mr. Foshay

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    Pardoning of Mr. Foshay

    Minneapolis Institute of Art - Art in Bloom (2026)

    Minneapolis Institute of Art

    4.7(434 reviews)
    2.7 miWhittier

    If you are looking for something to do, or entertaining an art lover from out of town, the MIA is…read moreone of those overlooked treasures. I will start with a story. My cousin, a New York City native, was flying from Italy to New York, but couldn't get to NYC because of huge snowstorm, so she was diverted to Minneapolis (ironic, huh?). She happens to be an art teacher with a masters in Art History. Since she was "stuck" here, she asked if she could visit one of the art museums. She told me later that she thought it was probably going to be a 15 minute trip because "Who would believe that Minneapolis could have any art worth seeing, or at least in any quantity." That 15-minute planned visit took FOUR HOURS. She was impressed with not only the artists that are represented, but the quality of the artist's work that is displayed at the MIA. According to her, many museums have the famous-name artists, but not necessarily their "A" rated works. She raved about the diversity of artists, styles, time periods, etc. and kept calling it a min-version of Metropolitan Museum of Art. I explained to her that the museum is filled with donations from wealthy Minnesotans such as the MacMillans, the Daytons, as well as many corporate companies that are headquartered here such as Target, Medtronic, Ameriprise, Wells Fargo, and US Bank. When she got home, she kept telling me how she couldn't believe that it was free and that we actually parked (for free) right in front of the museum. She also told me that it gave her ideas for lesson plans for the next several months. This story exemplifies what we often take for granted. Minneapolis has several world-class museums and this is definitely in the top five. In addition to the permanent collections, there are always special exhibits (which do cost extra) that travel from museum to museum. For example, the Terracotta Warriors, Silver Treasures from Bergen, Norway, Native Photography, 1890 to Now, Ancient Egyptian Art from the British Museum, and a massive showcase of Impressionist masters that attracted 155,198 visitors. Also impressive is the variety of exhibits, such as Star Wars: The Magic of Myth, Dale Chihuly: Glass Installations 1964-1997, and Royal Bronzes: Cambodian Art of the Divine, which included The Reclining Vishnu: The centerpiece was a monumental, thousand-year-old bronze sculpture of the Hindu god Vishnu, which is considered a Cambodian national treasure. This 7-foot-long figure was reconstructed from fragments for the first time in centuries which too a years-long restoration project.

    I loved thier special exhibit ( Modern Art and Politics ) and the Tibetan Meditation Room. The…read moreLayout is bizarre and some of my favorite artists weren't represented. The Minneapolis Art Institute is free. The Special exhibit is a special ticket that costs $$ unless you're a member. I went two days and I found free street parking not too far away. When I visited the Prairie Movement featuring Grant Wood and Frank Lolyd Wright I looked for Thomas Hart Benton... He was Missing in Action. MIA has several museum caliber pieces ( by Benton ), in storage. When I asked if they have any American Pop Art, the answer is Yes, but they were all MIA. In MIA's Not on View exhibit. When I asked about surrealism, they said if they have it, it's probably on the second floor. The Layout of MIA is by region and time period. The staff is very helpful at guiding me, but exact answers were challenging. Art is supposed to be for all. MIA has a massive collection, ten percent is on view at any given time. When you visit, you can type in the artist you are looking for on the website. Hopefully you'll be able to see what you seek.

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    Minneapolis Institute of Art - Art in Bloom (2026)

    Art in Bloom (2026)

    Minneapolis Institute of Art - Main stairs

    Main stairs

    Minneapolis Institute of Art - Large exhibition space

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    Large exhibition space

    Gammelgarden Museum of Scandia

    Gammelgarden Museum of Scandia

    5.0(1 review)
    33.1 mi

    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.

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    Gammelgarden Museum of Scandia
    Gammelgarden Museum of Scandia
    Gammelgarden Museum of Scandia

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    The Bakken Museum - museums - Updated May 2026

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