List of museums in Minnesota facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Minnesota is home to many amazing museums! These special places collect and take care of cool objects. They show off things that are important for history, art, science, or culture. You can find all sorts of interesting exhibits, from ancient artifacts to modern art. Art galleries run by non-profit groups or universities are also included. However, museums that are private or only exist online are not on this list.

Awesome Museums to Explore in Minnesota
Regions of Minnesota
See also

Awesome Museums to Explore in Minnesota

Minnesota has tons of cool museums! Here are some highlights, grouped by what they focus on.

Science and Nature Museums

These museums are perfect for curious minds who love to learn about the world around them.

The Bakken Museum in Minneapolis is a unique place. It's all about how electricity and magnetism have been used in medicine. You can explore cool inventions and learn about famous scientists.
Bell Museum of Natural History in Falcon Heights is Minnesota's official natural history museum. It started way back in 1872! You can see amazing wildlife displays, explore a discovery room, and even visit a digital planetarium. It moved to a new building in 2018.
Children's Discovery Museum in Grand Rapids has interactive exhibits for kids. It also has a large collection of dolls. It's right next to the Judy Garland Museum.
Children's Museum of Southern Minnesota in Mankato offers many hands-on exhibits for kids to play and learn.
Duluth Children's Museum in Duluth is one of the oldest children's museums in the country, opening in 1930. It has fun, interactive exhibits for young visitors.
Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth lets you see freshwater animals from the Great Lakes and even the Amazon River! You can also learn about physical sciences.
Headwaters Science Center in Bemidji focuses on science and technology. It has lots of hands-on activities for all ages.
International Owl Center in Houston is a special place dedicated to owls. You can learn all about these amazing birds and even see some live ones.
International Wolf Center in Ely is a research and education center all about wolves. You can see live wolves in a natural habitat and learn about their lives.
Moose Lake Agate and Geological Center in Moose Lake teaches you about Minnesota's state gemstone, the Lake Superior agate, and the geology of the state.
National Eagle Center in Wabasha is home to live, rehabilitated eagles. You can learn about eagles, wildlife, and how to protect them.
North American Bear Center in Ely has exhibits about North American bears and other wildlife from the North Woods. You can even see live black bears in a large outdoor area.
Science Museum of Minnesota in Saint Paul is a big museum with lots of interactive exhibits about science, technology, and natural history.
The Works in Bloomington is all about technology, engineering, and hands-on science experiments.

History and Heritage Museums

These museums help you travel back in time and learn about Minnesota's past.

1852 Town House School in Taylors Falls is the oldest public school in Minnesota. You can see what school was like long ago.
3M Museum in Two Harbors celebrates the early days of the famous 3M company. It's in the original office building where the company started in 1902.
Alexander Ramsey House in Saint Paul is the beautiful 1868 home of Alexander Ramsey, an early Minnesota governor. It's like stepping into the past!
American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis is an art and culture center. It celebrates Swedish and Swedish American history in a grand 1908 mansion.
Charles A. Lindbergh Historic Site in Little Falls is the childhood home of the famous aviator Charles Lindbergh. You can see exhibits about his life.
Dakota City Heritage Village in Farmington is an outdoor museum with 22 historical buildings. It shows what a typical Dakota County village looked like in 1900.
Forest History Center in Grand Rapids explores the human history of Minnesota's forests. You can visit an early 20th-century logging camp and a 1930s U.S. Forest Service station.
Gammelgården Museum of Scandia in Scandia tells the story of Swedish immigrants coming to Minnesota between 1850 and 1880. It has historical buildings and artifacts.
Gibbs Museum of Pioneer and Dakotah Life in Falcon Heights is an 1849 farmstead with original and replica buildings. It also has replica Dakota dwellings and gardens.
Historic Forestville in Preston offers living history demonstrations. You can see what life was like in 1899 in an original general store and farm buildings.
Historic Fort Snelling in Fort Snelling is a restored 1820s Army fort. It teaches about Native American history, the fur trade, and the Dakota War of 1862.
Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead has exhibits on Clay County history. It also features full-size replicas of Norway's Hopperstad Stave Church and the Gokstad ship.
James J. Hill House in Saint Paul is a grand mansion built in 1891 for railroad leader James J. Hill.
Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids is the childhood home of actress and singer Judy Garland. It has memorabilia from her life and the movie The Wizard of Oz.
Mill City Museum in Minneapolis has interactive exhibits about Minneapolis's flour milling industry. It's located in the ruins of an 1880 mill.
Minnesota History Center in Saint Paul is the main museum of the Minnesota Historical Society. It has permanent and changing exhibits about all of Minnesota's history.
Minnesota State Public School Orphanage Museum in Owatonna tells the story of Minnesota's only state-run orphanage, which cared for over 10,000 children from 1886 to 1945.
Oliver Kelley Farm in Elk River is a working farm from the 1860s. You can experience what farm life was like back then.
Paisley Park in Chanhassen offers tours of Prince's private estate and production complex. You can see his studios, soundstage, and concert hall.
Pipestone National Monument in Pipestone is a sacred site where Native American tribes have quarried catlinite for ceremonial pipes for thousands of years. It has interpretive trails and live demonstrations.
Split Rock Lighthouse in Two Harbors is Minnesota's oldest working lighthouse, completed in 1892. You can tour the tower, fog signal building, and keepers' houses.
Spam Museum in Austin is all about the famous canned meat, Spam! It's owned by the Hormel Company and has fun exhibits.
Soudan Underground Mine State Park in Breitung Township offers tours of Minnesota's oldest, deepest, and richest iron mine.
Wanda Gág House Interpretive Center and Museum in New Ulm is the home of artist Anton Gág and children's author Wanda Gág.

Art and Culture Museums

These museums celebrate creativity and different cultures.

American Museum of Asmat Art in Saint Paul showcases the art and culture of the Asmat people from Papua, Indonesia. It's located at the University of St. Thomas.
Duluth Art Institute in Duluth has rotating exhibitions by artists from the region and offers workshops.
Goldstein Museum of Design in Falcon Heights focuses on applied arts like clothing, pottery, and graphic design. It's part of the University of Minnesota.
Hmong Cultural Center Museum in Saint Paul helps preserve and share the history of the Hmong community. It also offers classes on Hmong folk arts.
Hmong Museum in Saint Paul is a "museum without walls" that partners with local groups for pop-up exhibits and cultural events.
Minneapolis Institute of Art in Minneapolis is a huge art museum with 89,000 works spanning 20,000 years from all over the world.
Minneapolis Sculpture Garden in Minneapolis is an 11-acre outdoor space with 40 sculptures from the nearby Walker Art Center.
Minnesota Museum of American Art in Saint Paul has a collection of 4,000 American artworks and crafts, including many by Minnesota artists.
The Museum of Russian Art in Minneapolis is the only museum in North America dedicated to Russian art. It has a core collection of 20th-century Realist paintings.
Rochester Art Center in Rochester features changing exhibits of contemporary art.
Tweed Museum of Art in Duluth is part of the University of Minnesota Duluth. It's known for its American landscape paintings.
Walker Art Center in Minneapolis is a contemporary art museum with the famous Minneapolis Sculpture Garden next to it.
Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis has permanent collections of American modernism, Korean furniture, and Mimbres pottery. It's part of the University of Minnesota and is in a cool building designed by Frank Gehry.

Transportation Museums

If you love trains, planes, and automobiles, these museums are for you!

Commemorative Air Force Minnesota Wing in South St. Paul is home to six aircraft and a collection of World War II artifacts. You can see restored military planes.
Cycling Museum of Minnesota in Minneapolis explores the history and future of cycling.
Greyhound Bus Museum in Hibbing tells the story of how Greyhound Lines, the world's largest bus company, started right there. It has 17 vintage buses!
Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth has a huge collection of locomotives, train cars, and other railroad equipment. It's in the Duluth Depot.
Minnesota Air National Guard Museum in Saint Paul shows the history of the Minnesota Air National Guard. It has 21 restored military aircraft from World War II to today.
Minnesota Streetcar Museum in Minneapolis has restored old streetcars that you can even ride on! It also has artifacts about streetcar history.
Minnesota Transportation Museum in Saint Paul has 50 vintage train cars, classic buses, and interactive displays about transportation history. It's in a 1907 roundhouse.
Pavek Museum of Broadcasting in St. Louis Park has a collection of vintage radio and television equipment.
Twin City Model Railroad Museum in Saint Paul has amazing model train layouts.

Other Unique Museums

Hoċokata Ti in Shakopee is the cultural center for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community. It has a public exhibit called "Mdewakanton: Dwellers of the Spirit Lake."
Giiwedinong Treaty Rights and Culture Museum in Park Rapids is a museum led by Indigenous people. It focuses on the lands, waters, cultures, treaty rights, and art of the Northern Midwest. It opened in 2023.
Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post in Onamia has exhibits on the history and life of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. It also has a restored 1930s trading post.
Somali Museum of Minnesota in Minneapolis celebrates the heritage of the Somali and East African communities.

Regions of Minnesota

Map showing the eight regions of Minnesota.

Minnesota is divided into different regions, and museums are located all across the state!

Northwest Minnesota Region

This area includes counties like Becker, Beltrami, Clay, and Roseau.

Northeast Minnesota Region

This region covers counties such as Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, and St. Louis.

West Minnesota Region

Counties in this area include Douglas, Otter Tail, and Wilkin.

Central Minnesota Region

This part of Minnesota has counties like Benton, Cass, Crow Wing, and Stearns.

Minnesota River Valley Region

This region includes counties such as Blue Earth, Brown, Kandiyohi, and Redwood.

Twin Cities Metro Region

This is the largest urban area, with counties like Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, and Washington.

Southwest Minnesota Region

Counties here include Cottonwood, Faribault, Jackson, and Pipestone.

Southeast Minnesota Region

This region has counties like Dodge, Fillmore, Goodhue, and Winona.