Minneapolis, Minnesota, has so many museum options for families, it’s tough to figure out where to go first. On our recent summer visit, we found a true Minneapolis gem: The Bakken Museum. And to think, we nearly didn’t go to it!

Our quiet afternoon The Bakken Museum was full of wonder. I’m certain your family will love it as much as mine. Read on for why the museum won a place in our hearts.

Disclosure: Our trip to Minneapolis was hosted by Meet Minneapolis. Our visit to The Bakken Museum was complimentary. All thoughts, opinions and typos are my own.

Where is The Bakken Museum? 

The location of The Bakken Museum is the main reason we picked it as the lone museum to visit during our summer getaway to Minneapolis. It’s near Bde Maka Ska, a popular lake in Minneapolis. 

We visited the museum first and then dipped our toes into the lake. It wasn’t exactly beach weather that day. (Hope you have better luck!)

What kind of museum is The Bakken Museum?

I would describe The Bakken Museum as part science museum with a touch of children’s museum in a beautiful historic mansion. It’s not overwhelmingly immense and packed with information like some science centers, nor does it bombard the senses like many children’s museums.

The Bakken Museum describes itself as intending to inspire “a passion for innovation by exploring the potential for science, technology, and the humanities to make the world a better place. Housed in the historic West Winds Mansion, the museum offers unique artifact and book collections, seasonal medicinal gardens, dynamic exhibits, and rich education experiences.”

It was established in 1975 to house a world-renowned collection of artifacts and books that detail the history and innovation of electricity, magnetism and their influence on medical innovation. 

Since it’s home to the Florence Bakken Medicinal Gardens and Dakota Native Plant Gardens, as well, the museum is able to tell the story of Minnesota’s role in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) innovation, making it a global leader in improving the lives of people around the world. 

How long does it take to visit The Bakken Museum?

Most families could spend about two to three hours at The Bakken Museum. Of course, if you or someone in your group enjoys reading about each exhibit, add another hour to your visit.

We visited at the end of the day and left less than two hours to explore. It turned out to be enough time for us, though we didn’t get to linger for long at any one place.

What can kids do at the museum?

A lot! Every room has something (or many things) for kids to explore. I spotted the youngest visitors enjoying the circuits the Electropolis exhibit.

My youngest (7 years old)  spent most of her time outdoors in the medicinal garden. It’s a beautiful and peaceful place to explore.

The museum provides backpacks to check out, each containing kid-friendly activities like an insect identifying kit with bug descriptions and a net to catch them and a nature bingo card.

Don’t miss the chance to see the medicinal gardens, if only to have a quiet moment by the fountain. But, since you’re already outside, walk to the other side of the building to see the rooftop garden.

My oldest (9 years old) is into design and building, so he spent a lot of time at the Minnesota Made and Designing For Life exhibits. These exhibits felt more reminiscent of the self-directed, hands-on activities we encounter at children’s museums.

Tip: Frankenstein’s Laboratory is a 10-minute, immersive show about Frankenstein’s monster and his tragic story. Signs were posted saying it may scare children under a certain age, so we skipped it.

A friend of mine has seen the show and she confirmed there is a surprise in it that could, indeed, scare a kid. Glad we skipped it!

SAVINGS TIP: The Bakken Museum belongs to the Association of Science & Technology Centers, meaning if you have a family membership to places like Omaha Children’s Museum, you receive FREE admission for up to four people thanks to the reciprocal membership perks. Read this post for more details.

What was the museum’s highlight?

My entire family had a lot of fun playing in the exhibit Ben Franklin’s Electricity Party. The small room has some of his nutty electric parlor tricks, which he was known to share at parties he’d host in the 1700s.

Some of the tricks moved butterflies or made a bell ring. Some of the tricks shocked you. We tended to giggle loudest with those tricks.

So, yes, basically my family spent our time watching each other get a mild shock. Ahh, family memories. 🙂

More things to do in Minneapolis

We’ve explored Minneapolis and St. Paul in the summer and the winter. Here are some more fun things to do and places to visit in the Twin Cities (and nearby):

A Perfect Weekend Itinerary For Minneapolis

Holiday Weekend In Minnesota 

Ultimate Mall of America Guide – For Kids!

What Young Kids Like At Science Museum Of Minnesota

Christmas at the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis

Where To Stay Near The Twin Cities

Hotel In Downtown Minneapolis: The Marquette Hotel

Roseville & Twin Cities Bucket List 

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Ask my kids what their favorite part of our Minneapolis weekend and they’ll tell you it was the day we spent at Mall of America. Mall of America is a one-stop destination packed with family activities, restaurants and, of course, shopping.

Disclosure: Our visit to Minneapolis was hosted by Meet Minneapolis. Some attractions were complimentary, and some we paid for. All thoughts, opinions and typos are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Think your kids would like a trip there? Here’s how to make the most of a Mall of America vacation:

Where is Mall of America

Mall of America is located in Bloomington, Minn., so it’s just outside of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Since it’s not far from the interstate and parking is free, driving to the mall is an easy option.

It’s worth noting that it’s also a stop on the light rail. You can take the rail from the airport, even! We almost made that trip from downtown Minneapolis, but decided against it (in case we did some serious shopping).

Mall of America hours

The Mall of America is open seven days a week. It’s open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

If you plan on visiting any of the attractions, like Nickelodeon Universe or SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium, the hours may be different. For instance, the aquarium closed an hour earlier than the rest of the mall on the day we visited, so we had planned to not leave it until the end of the day.

That didn’t work out, but that’s another story.

Always double check the hours before you go, as things change!

Rides at Mall of America

Nickelodeon Universe, the largest indoor amusement park in the U.S., is at the center of the mall. If you’re visiting the mall with kids, it’s nearly impossible to avoid it.

This was, by far, my kids’ favorite experience in the Mall of America. It’s so large, this could easily be a day itself. Yes, that’s right, Mall of America could be a two- or three-day vacation.

There are 28 rides and attractions at Nickelodeon Universe. You can opt to pay per ride or get an all-day wristband. I’m torn on recommending getting the all-day wristband, especially if you visit on an extra busy day. The wait lines can be long.

My favorite ride was the SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge, a thrilling coaster that goes upside down. The Splat-O-Sphere was another fun one with a fairly short wait compared to the roller coasters.

Tip: Save the log ride until the end of your day. You will get wet…sometimes really wet.

Kid-friendly restaurants at Mall of America

I spent entirely way too much time trying to find “the best” restaurant at Mall of America. Like any mall, there are plenty of chains to choose from, and of course, food courts, but I wanted to pick some place unique to eat at during our vacation.

I consulted several sites and foodie authorities, including Eater, Andrew Zimmern, and Reddit. In the end, since we were traveling with kids, I picked Twin City Grill for our lone meal at the mall.

Twin City Grill was a great choice, though if you’re pressed for time or on a budget, this sit-down restaurant isn’t for you. However, the dark wood and cozy atmosphere made it seem like we were a mile away from the hectic mall setting.

The restaurant has a kid’s menu. The food is classic comfort food and Minnesota highlights like walleye. I ordered a delicious cheeseburger.

A few other Mall of America restaurants that might be popular with your kids:

• American Girl Bistro
• Hard Rock Cafe
• Rainforest Cafe
• And a ton of fast casual options that are perfectly kid-friendly and quick.

Shopping at Mall of America

There are more than 520 stores at the Mall of America. Like any other mall, they run the gamut from clothing retailers to candles, books, purses and more.

Here are some of the Mall of America stores that will interest kids:

• Air Traffic Toys
• Barnes & Noble
• Build-A-Bear Workshop
• Crayola Store (this is a part of Crayola Experience, so be prepared for your kids to want to go to this attraction if you visit the store)
• Disney Store
• Games by James
• Gamestop Pop Culture
• Go! Calendars & Games
• iCandy Sugar Shoppe
• Lakeshore Gifts For Growing Minds
• Nickelodeon Universe has a couple of gift shops (and my kids were drawn to them like moths to a lightbulb)
• The LEGO Store

And if your child is older and has a favorite brand, there’s a good chance that brand has a store in Mall of America.

*It’s always a good idea to double check if the store you are interested in visiting is still open before your visit.

More things to do at the mall

You can shop, you can dine, you can ride rides at Mall of America. On top of all that, there are attractions to see and do there.

Here are the notables:

• Amazing Mirror Maze
• Crayola Experience
• Dutchman’s Deck Adventure Course
• Gameworks
• Moose Mountain Adventure Golf
• Nickelodeon Universe
• Old Time Photos
• Princess & Diva Kids Fun Spa
• Rock of Ages Blacklight Mini Golf
• SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium
• The Escape Game
• The VOID
• XD Ride
• Xscape Arcade
• Xscape Entertainment Center

*It’s always a good idea to double check if these attractions are open before your visit.

Tip: We went to SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium, Dutchman’s Deck Adventure Course, Nickelodeon Universe and Moose Mountain Adventure Golf. If you are short on time (ie., you only have one day), do not attempt to go to all of these!

Most unique experience at MOA

Hands down, the most unique thing we did at Mall of America was zipline through the mall. Where else can you do that?!

The zipline is at Dutchman’s Deck Adventure Course located inside Nickelodeon Universe. It is an additional fee to do, so if you purchase an all-day ride pass for Nickelodeon Universe, this zipline and ropes course are not included in it.

Both of my kids were able to zipline and they are ages 7 and 9. I did it as well and it was a rush. The zipline takes you over Nickelodeon Universe twice.

You can opt to just do the ropes course or just do the zipline. But if you want a real workout and challenge, do both.

Tip: If you have your heart set on ziplining through the mall, do this first thing. Due to the nature of ziplining (one at a time), the wait can be long.

Tip #2: Wear closed-toe shoes if you plan on doing the ropes course and zipline. They do have Crocs available to wear if you don’t, and by the looks of them, 10,000 other people’s sweaty feet have been in them.

Where to stay in Bloomington

Good news! There are about 50 hotels within 10 miles of the Mall of America, and many of them offer free shuttle rides to the mall. Some hotels have packages for MOA visitors.

There are even hotels connected to the Mall of America.

FYI: If you love water parks in your hotel, Great Wolf Lodge is very near Mall of America.

Tip: You can save up to 50% off Great Wolf Lodge Water Park stays through Groupon!

Plan a Minneapolis family trip

We’ve explored Minneapolis and St. Paul in the summer and the winter. Here are some more fun things to do and places to visit in the Twin Cities (and nearby):

A Perfect Weekend Itinerary For Minneapolis

Holiday Weekend In Minnesota 

Bakken Museum: A Minneapolis Hidden Gem

Ultimate Mall of America Guide – For Kids!

What Young Kids Like At Science Museum Of Minnesota

Christmas at the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis

Downtown Minneapolis Hotel: Marquette Hotel

Where To Stay Near The Twin Cities

Roseville & Twin Cities Bucket List 

Like this post?

Subscribe to the FREE e-newsletter sharing family travel ideas, giveaways and more! Subscribe here.

A mix of city and nature, Minneapolis is a great Midwest getaway for families. It has a mix of cultural attractions and tourist destinations that you can easily plan a weekend there. Here’s my recommended weekend itinerary for Minneapolis, with suggestions on things to do that will be fun for kids.

Disclosure: Our visit to Minneapolis was hosted by Meet Minneapolis. Some attractions were complimentary, and some we paid for. All thoughts, opinions and typos are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Having spent a few long weekends in the area, I’d recommend three days to explore Minneapolis and the surrounding cities (AKA, the Twin Cities). This includes St. Paul and Bloomington

We spent a long weekend in Minneapolis in the summer. With two kids, we did a little bit of everything – biking, a museum, a waterfall, and the Mall of America. You can be as cultural or commercial as you want there.

How to get to Minneapolis

Minneapolis is located along the Mississippi River on the eastern side of the state. The nearest airport is about a quick 10-mile drive to Minneapolis. It’s an international airport, and it just so happens to be super close to Mall of America.

You can rent a car at the airport or take the light rail into the city.

We opted to drive from Omaha to Minneapolis. It’s about a 5- to 6-hour drive.

Tip: The restaurant stops are few and far between from Omaha to Minneapolis. Plan a stop in Des Moines if you think you’ll need a lunch or dinner stop.

When to visit Minneapolis

Having visited the Twin Cities in the winter and the summer, if you asked me, the best time to visit is summer.  Between the cities’ lakes, abundant bike trails and farmers markets, there’s no shortage of things to do outdoors. 

But, the cities are also very well-prepared for inclement weather. You can easily have a great winter vacation there and never really have to venture outdoors (skywalks are everywhere in downtown Minneapolis). Read about spending a winter weekend in the Twin Cities.

Where to stay in Minneapolis

Minneapolis is a large enough city that’s close to other cities, so you can feel overwhelmed with options. I enjoyed staying downtown, though it did have some downsides.

Downtown Minneapolis hotel option

We had the ideal location with The Marquette Hotel, Curio Collection By Hilton, in downtown Minneapolis. It was within walking distance of several shops (including Target and Walgreens for forgotten toiletries), great restaurants, public transportation, and a bikeable distance to riverfront trails and museums.

The drawback is that it didn’t have a pool, which is a biggie for families, in my opinion. This place would be, however, a great couples getaway hotel.

If you brought a car, expect to pay for overnight parking at most downtown hotels. At The Marquette, parking was $30/night.

Kid-friendly hotel option near Minneapolis

When I told friends I was headed to Minneapolis, the most recommended hotel was Great Wolf Lodge, which happens to be near the Mall of America in Bloomington (about 10 miles from Minneapolis).

Tip: Save up to 25% at Great Wolf Lodge when you stay for two or more nights with promo code WOLF2019.

Sample weekend itinerary for Minneapolis

Day 1 – Biking & Bakken

Morning: We had breakfast at our hotel the first morning, but I would recommend venturing out to a favorite restaurant from our previous visit – Mickey’s Diner (it’s one of the most memorable places in the Midwest for breakfast for good reason). Get an omelet.  

Before things get too warm, take a bike ride along the riverfront, crossing over the Stone Arch Bridge and biking a short distance before crossing back over the river.

It’s a very kid-friendly route (mostly – we got a little lost and had to ask directions a few times). I used this map to plan it. It’s not idiot-proof, because, as I said, we managed to wander off the trail a bit.

We took a break at in East Downtown near the Mill City Museum to stroll around the farmers market and see the nearby park. There were a food truck and vendors where you can get lunch or you can opt for a local restaurant.

We biked back close to our hotel to have lunch at the Hen House Café. It’s a “don’t miss” dining experience in Minneapolis.

Looking for ice cream after all that biking? There’s an Izzy’s Ice Cream near Mill Ruins Park. You can get $2 Izzy scoops, which were teeny. At least they didn’t ruin our lunch. (But if you ask me, get a larger scoop!)

Afternoon: We spent two hours at The Bakken Museum, a surprising hidden gem. It’s an eclectic museum, telling the story of Minnesota’s role in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) innovation. Housed in a gorgeous mansion, it’s Minnesota’s only Smithsonian affiliate museum. 

The entire family had fun in the electricity room, which did involve trying to get each other shocked. That’s how we roll.

My daughter was fascinated by the medicinal garden. We checked out a little backpack with a nature kit, and she had a blast trying to catch and identify insects.

The garden is incredibly peaceful, so don’t skip it!

Near The Bakken Museum is Bde Maka Ska Lake. There are beaches there, bike trails, and watercraft rentals. It was a little too cool for taking a dip in the lake for us, though.

Alternative: I absolutely adored The Bakken, but if you wanted to choose a different museum (and skip the lake), check out the Science Museum of Minnesota. You can easily spend half a day there and not see everything. It’s very hands-on and great for kids. 

Tip: Both The Bakken Museum and Science Museum are members of ASTC, which means if you have a membership to another ASTC museum (like Omaha Children’s Museum), you can get free admission to them for four people.

Evening:  We walked to Pizza Luce in downtown Minneapolis, which was pretty busy on the Saturday night we went. Kids’ meals come with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert. 

Day 2 – Brunch & Mall of America

Morning: Make a reservation for brunch at Hell’s Kitchen, a local restaurant not affiliated with Chef Ramsey or the TV show. It was the food highlight of the entire trip, though the playful “hell” theme made my kids a little nervous. 

It’s a kid-friendly place, though, with a kid’s menu and everything. I recommend getting the lemon ricotta pancakes, and if you’re extra hungry, get the sausage toast appetizer and top it with their famous peanut butter and orange marmalade.

Go by 8:30 a.m. to beat the crowd. If you’re a mimosa or Bloody Mary bar kind of person, go after 9 a.m. so you can enjoy their spectacular 35-foot DIY bar for each.

Afternoon: Head to Mall of America, which is bigger than you can even imagine. You walk more than a mile if you try to explore just one level of the mall!

We spent about 7 hours there and it was not long enough to do all that the kids had wanted. The bulk of our time was spent at Nickelodeon Universe, a 28-acre indoor theme park.

Get there right when the amusement park opens (usually later than the mall) to have your pick of short waits for rides. By noon, expect long lines for the popular rides. That last hour of the day, though, is also a great time for shorter waits.

In addition to the rides, we did Dutchman’s Deck Ropes Course and zip line. It’s an additional fee from the all-day ride pass.

It’s surreal zip-lining through the mall. The ropes course was a workout but probably the favorite thing for us grownups. Due to the wait and how long you may want to spend on the course, it can be a major time suck. So if your time is limited, I would advise not doing it.

Related post: Ultimate Guide To Visiting Mall Of America With Kids

We also played a round of putt-putt golf at Moose Mountain Adventure Golf at the mall. This activity also takes a lot of time since it’s 18 holes of miniature golf.

We also visited SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium on the lower level of the mall. It was one of our final stops of the day, so we had to rush through it a bit. The long tunnels were impressive, but the highlight for the kids was the touch tank.

I spent quite a bit of time researching where to eat at the mall because I’d heard some grumblings about the typical mall fare there. With that in mind, we chose to have lunch at Twin Cities Grill. It was a welcome respite from the loudness of the mall and rides. As a sit-down restaurant, though, it does take a while to get through the meal.

Alternative: Looking for someplace fun but not an all-day experience like Mall of America? Can Can Wonderland is an indoor miniature golf place where artists created each unique hole.

It’s a colorful, zany dream space – you have to see it to believe it. Plus, there are some fun arcade games to keep you entertained while you wait. 

Evening – If you’re not totally exhausted from your day at the mall, head to Surly Brewing Co. for dinner and beer. The large brewery is surprisingly family-friendly and if the weather is nice, you can enjoy the immense patio and green space.

Day 3 – Art & a Waterfall

Morning– Start the day off early and visit the Sculpture Garden outside the Walker Art Center. You’ll see the iconic sculptures without crowds of people in the background (plus the light will be best). And to boot, you get prime parking on the street.

Most of the artwork is hands-off for good reason, though if you walk around, you will find one “swing” that the kids will enjoy.

Afternoon – Head to Minnehaha Falls, a beautiful waterfall located inside city limits. It’s a short walk to see the waterfall, but prepare for several steps down and back up.

Downriver from the waterfalls, find a wading area where kids and grownups like to cool off. The kids were excited to join the others in the cold water.

Meanwhile, I grimaced as I stepped on the rough rocks.

Tip: Bring water shoes!

If you brought bikes, plan on doing a bit of riding since the paved trails there are great for families.

No bikes? Rent a bike or four-person surrey bike in the park.

The park is home to Sea Salt, a popular seafood restaurant, which I had planned on us dining at. Apparently, half of the city was there and the wait was close to 45 minutes just to order.

As luck would have it, though, there was a bluegrass festival at the park that day and several food trucks were parked nearby. There also happened to be a Surly beer truck, if a cold beer sounds good to you after a bike ride and trip to a waterfall. (FYI: Sea Salt also has beer on tap)

Plan a Minneapolis family trip

We’ve explored Minneapolis and St. Paul in the summer and the winter. Here are some more fun things to do and places to visit in the Twin Cities (and nearby):

Holiday Weekend In Minnesota 

Bakken Museum: A Minneapolis Hidden Gem

Ultimate Mall of America Guide – For Kids!

What Young Kids Like At Science Museum Of Minnesota

Christmas at the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis

Downtown Minneapolis Hotel: Marquette Hotel

Where To Stay Near The Twin Cities

Roseville & Twin Cities Bucket List 

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