This post is sponsored by the Minnesota Children’s Museum 

The holiday season is a time for giving, and what better gift can you provide your children or grandchildren than the gift of curiosity, creativity, and endless exploration? A membership to the Minnesota Children’s Museum offers a world of benefits, making it a perfect choice for a holiday gift that keeps on giving!

7 Benefits of a Minnesota Children’s Museum Membership

Unlimited Access

One of the primary advantages of membership is unlimited access. Members can visit the museum as often as they like, allowing children to revisit their favorite exhibits and discover something new each time. This flexibility ensures that your family can make the most of the museum throughout the year.

Cost-Effective

Over time, a membership can be much more cost-effective than paying for individual admissions. It’s an investment in your child’s education and development that will pay off in the long run. For a family of 5, a membership pays for itself in just two visits!

Special Discounts

Members receive discounts on special events, summer camps, and more. This makes it easier to engage your children in enriching experiences while staying within your budget.

Member-Only Events

The museum hosts exclusive members-only nights, creating a unique and intimate experience where members can explore the museum during non-public hours.

Reciprocal Benefits

Your membership doesn’t stop at the Minnesota Children’s Museum. Members can enjoy free or discounted admission to over 200 children’s museums across the country through the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) reciprocity program.

Playing at the Minnesota Children’s Museum is more than just fun

Perhaps you’ve heard the quote, “Play is the work of the child.” This quote by Maria Montessori is supported by dozens of studies on what childhood play does for a young mind. Play is central to a child’s development. When your child plays, it gives them many different ways and times to learn.

There is – quite literally – always something new!

There are 11 exhibit spaces for children (and their adults) to explore.

Some of our favorites include:

• • the post office in Our World (kids LOVE sending packages up and down the conveyor belt)
  • the green screen and laser maze in Shipwreck Adventures (you can easily spend 30 minutes at the green screen)
  • the giant spiral slide in The Scramble (kids went down probably 20 times)
  • the ball launchers in Forces at Play (pretty sure they built this with adults in mind, lol)
  • and the water table in Sprouts (water+kids=winning combo)

The Highlights of 2023

In 2023, the Minnesota Children’s Museum captivated children and families with a range of interactive exhibits that combined fun and learning. We highlighted many of them last spring – a few of our favorites were The Creativity Jam: Hedgehog Playground Engineering; Imaginopolis: Nature ReMix; The Studio: Monsters!; Special Exhibit Gallery: Framed; and Emotions at Play with Pixar’s Inside Out.

We also had a chance to check out The Mud Zone (located in The Backyard). This interactive exhibit opened in Summer 2023 and allows children to get their hands dirty, exploring the sensory wonders of mud. It’s a place where they can squish, mold, and create to their heart’s content, fostering sensory development and imaginative play. With plenty of aprons and tools provided, it’s a fun and educational zone where kids can dive into the joys of mud play while staying clean AND safe!

Check out a few of our Instagram reels below that showcase some of our MCM fun! 

What’s in Store for 2024

The Minnesota Children’s Museum is gearing up for another exciting year in 2024 with a lineup of new exhibits and activities to engage young minds and ignite their curiosity. Here are a couple of the already-announced upcoming attractions:

Wild Kratts®: Creature Power!® | Feb. 3 – May 12, 2024

Step into the world of Wild Kratts® to explore the secret lives of amazing creatures in this hands-on exhibit. Immerse yourself in animal habitats from around the globe, discover incredible creature powers, and go on a mission to foil the villains’ nefarious plans.

Monsters on Summer Vacation | Summer 2024

Monsters of all shapes and sizes are spending their summer vacation at the museum. Join in the fun as you maneuver through the monster obstacle course, show off your best moves at the monster disco, feed the giant monster, and more. What kinds of monster friends will you make?

Address: 10 7th St W – St Paul
Family Play Hours: Sun-Thurs: 9 am – 5 pm; Fri-Sat: 9 am – 8 pm