Historic 1855 home in Hudson, WI, just miles from the Twin Cities. With COVID restrictions lifted,…read morethe house is back open and ready to be toured. Come learn about the history of the Moffat family that built this unique home as a group, with friends or even solo! There is something to learn for all ages. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. The Octagon House also serves tea. Be sure to check out their website or give them a call directly to setup tea time. There is even a gift shop on-site where you can purchase glassware, ornaments, and garden decor. My family had a magical day out of the entire experience.

Drove 20 miles to visit and although the website said it was open when we arrived it was closed.read more

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

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

- 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.

Beautiful museum and lives up to its name : American Art!…read more Nicely curated objects representing people of all colors and different heritages - from native Americans to new Asian immigrants, and many more! From big names like Paul Manship (he did the Prometheus in front of the Rockefeller Center) and Grant Wood, to local artists like George Morrison, to new Hmong artists who are eager to make their works seen, this museum has a great collection and the juxtaposition of their works present a scene none less amazing than the American culture today! FREE!

Absolutely wonderful museum in an historical building with free admission. The staff were friendly…read moreand informative. The museum tour was excellent and the art collection wonderful. It was a great way to spend a winter day! Highly recommended!

We were married here on a Sunday in June 2010. The pictures were astounding! The ceremony (in…read morefront of the big windows upstairs in the courtroom) was just what we wanted. It was traditional, classy, and secular. We had such a low-stress day! We held the reception at the Lake Elmo Inn Event Center. We were (wisely) cautioned that although a ceremony on the front steps seems like a perfect idea, it might not be the best option because, 1. Guests can't hear... anything... including the vows 2. Motorcycles go by regularly in the summer 3. Wind, rain, heat, etc WHAT WAS GREAT The price (only $1200). (Even The Husband thought so!) Low stress, helpful staff The courthouse was ours for the whole day, so we leisurley got ready and took pictures. The cute little dressing room for the bride and maids to get ready. The sweeping double staircase with oh-so-many photo opportunities An elevator for our less mobile guests A beautiful entrance and grounds for pictures The courthouse was so beautiful I didn't even decorate and it looked gorgeous. The mirror and window in the back room for pictures. The mirror and stairs in the "jury room" helped us make this awesome photo where the gals are hanging out in front of the mirror and the boys are seen on the stairs in the mirror behind the girls while the bride (me!) fixes her hair in the mirror. VERY COOL. Adequate parking for guests The sound system was simple enough that a bunch of 20-somethings figured out how to play music off an iPod with little trouble. LESS GREAT Be prepared to increase your insurance briefly to cover the event. The courthouse's policy does not cover your event. It wasn't terribly expensive, but still good to know. You can't get onto the balcony from the courtroom. :( That would have been cute.

I had fun checking out the historic courthouse. The best part was exploring the old jail cell areas…read moreand seeing how they were set up. It was also interesting to see the other historical exhibits throughout the building. I came for a Jane Austen harp concert, and the venue on the top floor was spacious enough to host about 50 to 60 people. I would definitely visit again to see more of the space and attend another event.

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.

I was pleasantly surprised by how lovely this little museum turned out to be. My husband and I were…read morespending the day in Stillwater, and had just finished a very poorly narrated tour of the historic courthouse, when we decided to wander over to the tiny Warden's House Museum. The gentleman who met us out front sold us our tickets ($5 each), and then proceeded to take us through the whole house. It's honestly mostly a mishmash of random items people in Washington County have donated over the years (he mentioned that they are no longer accepting donations of antique pianos because at this point every ground floor room in the house has one). The real jewel here was our tour guide. He was very well versed in all aspects of early Minnesota history, from the rise and fall of the logging industry, to the process of bringing electricity to Stillwater, to the old county jail whose remnants the museum is next to. It was clear the he wasn't just regurgitating some lines he had memorized: he answered all our questions thoroughly and thoughtfully, and clearly was an avid history buff. I highly recommend visiting this little gem.

Grew up around here. Its a cool lil spot. You can swim on one side, or kayak and canoe, and fish on…read morethe other side. Parking is in the middle,

We went with a group on the railway. There are air conditioned cars and if it is a hot day you will…read moreneed it. Beverages and light snacks are served on board. The rear car was in the family of James J. Hill. Make sure you view it. It has been refurbished but there is a schematic of the original layout. The view is mostly just trees. I am sure it is very pretty in the fall when the colors change.

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.

Dropped in last night for their free Thursday evening admission. All I had to do was check-in at…read morethe front desk and receive a small medallion to wear. They even had a fun free craft going on in the basement, all supplies included and snacks! Yay! I just took an explore at my own pace through a couple of exhibits. The docents are a little creepy... I know they're just doing their job by standing there staring at you or following you around (probably because guests are bad at respecting the rules), but yeah, I found them a little distracting/detracting from the experience. Oh well. I just tried to ignore it and focus on the art as best I could. Moving from room to room and spiralling up gradual stairways will kind of get you lost inside the building. It's large and has multiple floors. The space will shift from cozy to grandiose at a moment's notice. If you don't like being lost, grab a map before you go in. If getting lost is a fun part of the experience for you, then by all means, just enjoy following your nose like I did, haha! I happened to be there on opening night for the new kid's exhibit they added, where you are encouraged to touch as part of exploration. It's not terribly large, but I like things that encourage imaginative play. Shame I saw one lady just staring at her cell phone like a drone while her kid played beside her. There are all-gender bathrooms on the ground floor by the lobby, and additional restrooms scattered throughout the center (when you stumble across them, lol). There are also coat closets for you to hang your coat if you don't need it; they keep the center nice and warm inside! There is an occasional water fountain as well, which is a godsend since they do not allow you to carry ANY drinks (even recloseable water bottles like Hydroflasks) into the exhibit spaces. There are also a couple of gift shops. The one in the lobby has affordable things, the one deeper in on the second floor is like modern art for your home + a wall of books. There are a couple of theatres inside, along with a full restaurant (y'know, if you have money for fancy-schmancy things like eating, oops). For parking you have a couple options: you can utilize the surface lot for $5 and it'll last you until midnight, or you can use the underground lot for $8. Depending on the weather conditions, that extra $3 might make it worth it to you to choose the underground space. On a chilly Thursday November evening, I still chose the outdoor lot and there were plenty of parking spaces available. There is also the option of squeezing into parallel parking along Vineland and using the meters. Obviously, the sculpture garden is also right next door to explore at any time of day for free. I highly recommend it, if only to take a quick selfie with the Cherry & Spoon or blue Cock.

I had the pleasure of attending the performance of Shamel Pitts - Tribe: Marks of Red on Saturday…read moreand it was interesting. I was very entertained as the performers were absolutely AMAZING. I enjoyed the space and I will be back another show and all of the other art parts that offer because I really love the arts. Go and be inspired.