Go, See, Explore: Mill City Museum

I cannot believe I have lived in the Twin Cities for over 20 years and just visited the Mill City Museum for the first time last week. This museum has a ‘cool factor’ that is off the charts and truly gives visitors a look into the history of how Minneapolis was settled and became a thriving city that many of us have grown to love and call home.

Location

704 South 2nd St. – Minneapolis

Visit the website for admission + hours as these may change.

One of my favorite attributes of this museum is the plethora of hands-on activities.  I don’t know about your kids, but my kids like to ‘reach out and touch’ ALL THE THINGS and thankfully that type of exploration is more than welcome here.

We started off by watching a 20 minute film about how the flour milling industry was the heart of the economy for those who first came to Minneapolis. The lighthearted film (appropriate for all ages) also talks about the influential roles that Father Hennepin and Wilbur Foshay had in developing this great city.

After the film, we made our way into the exhibit hall where you can learn more than you ever wanted to know about the agricultural production of wheat and how it makes it’s way from the field to our food.

Here the kids designed cereal boxes:

Things to Do

We also put together a giant 3D floor puzzle of a map of Minnesota; and my kids LOVED the little train area – which was hands on fun for kids of all ages to use. Before heading to the baking lab, we spent an hour in the water lab where education meets innovation. Creativity is embraced while the divine smell of fresh baked bread wafted through the air! While the kids worked on their masterpiece, I reviewed recipes from an extensive collection of cookbooks.

And ended our visit with a fun elevator ride on the Flour Tower – which brought us to a rooftop plaza with spectacular views of this beautiful city.

That is such an integral part of Minneapolis and the stories of those who first lived here and all the families who continue to call this great place home.