Whether you’re an art, history, science, military, plant, or animal lover, we’ve got museums here for ‘em all—approximately 600 statewide, to be more exact. With some 55 in the Twin Cities alone, that leaves us with one museum for every 9,000 residents—twice as many as the national average. Considering, it only makes sense that we dedicate an entire month to these cultural resources, which is why for the past three years May has been designated Minnesota Museum’s Month.
To direct you on your learning adventure, download the free museum finder app. It will steer you to museums after browsing by category or location, let you create an itinerary, check off those you visit as you go, and upload photos from your trip.
But with 600 to choose from, where do you start? I suggest first considering the spots offering deals and special events in conjunction with this 31-day celebration. When accompanied by a paying adult, kids will be admitted for free to the Minnesota History Center, Mill City Museum and Science Museum of Minnesota (ages 4-12) all month long. The former two will also offer Moms free admission on Mother’s Day, as will the Minnesota Zoo (May 10 & 11) and American Swedish Institute. On May 18, the Swedish institute will also host a family picnic, featuring outdoor games and crafts, a visit from the Swedish ambassador to the United States, and food from FIKA Chef Dustin Thompson and visiting Swedish Chef Martin Andersson. May 18 also happens to be International Art Museum Day, which you can celebrate at Walker Art Center with free gallery admission (children 18 and younger are free daily). On May 10, help the Twin Cities Model Railroad Museum celebrate its 80th birthday will special events in conjunction with National Train Day. If you’re in Red Wing, six local museums (Goodhue County Historical Society, Red Wing Shoe Company Museum, Red Wing Pottery Museum, Red Wing Marine Museum, American Ski Jumping Hall of Fame and Museum and Aliveo Military Museum) will mount exhibits related to the Phil Revoir collection of vintage photos of the area. Free admission will be offered May 31 and June 1, plus, on those days, the first-ever Red Wing Museum Crawl will be held, featuring a surplus sale at Red Wing Pottery Museum.
So get out and get cultured. Don’t waste any time—you’ve got 600 to explore!
