St. Paul, May 21, 2019 – At Minnesota Children’s Museum, we believe summer is a special time. It’s a time for fun, exploring, family memory-making and learning in the most natural way possible – through play. This summer, we have all that and more. In addition to a plethora of fun-filled permanent exhibits, we have a great lineup of special summer experiences and events that shine a spotlight on creative and critical thinking — important skills that help kids go far in school and life.

Special Summer Exhibits and Experiences

• Rube Goldberg™: The World of Hilarious Invention! In this new special exhibit, visitors activate wacky chain-reaction contraptions that use everyday objects to complete simple tasks in the most over complicated, inefficient and hilarious ways possible. Open from May 25 to Sept. 8. Presented locally by Comcast.
• Creativity Jam in the Target Gallery. In a reimagined Creativity Jam gallery, kids make their own adventure journal, collaborate on an art installation about courage and harness the power of daydreaming.
• Cosmic Junkyard in Imaginopolis. Visitors crawl through a black hole, play astronaut at the console of a spaceship and decode alien messages.
• Making Machines in The Studio in the Target Gallery. Kids and families use cardboard tubes, strings, tape and other materials to engineer simple machines such as pulleys, levers and catapults. This activity is made possible by Donaldson.
• Engineering & Design Challenges on The Landing. Kids test theories and solve problems as they tackle a variety of engineering and design challenges.

Summer experiences at Minnesota Children’s Museum are sponsored by Chase.

Free Celebrate Creativity Street Fest

All are welcome to join us for an outdoor street fest right outside the museum (Seventh Street between St. Peter and Wabasha Streets) on Saturday, July 13, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This event will feature music, a variety of performances and lots of open-ended play activities that spark imagination and creativity in kids and families. This event is made possible by Chase.

Think Big Workshops

Visitors can choose from a number of hands-on workshops that empower them to explore concepts in STEM, flex their creativity and solve problems. Workshops will include:

Tickets will go on sale in early July at mcm.org.

Thinkers & Dreamers Showcase Series

Throughout the summer, we’re celebrating creativity and innovation through special showcase events where visitors can meet young inventors and entrepreneurs, see performers and take part in other activities. These events are included in the price of museum admission. Here’s the schedule.

• June 22 – Inventors & Innovation
• July 13 – Creativity
• Aug. 3 – Engineering & Design

Adults@Play Summer Hangout

Adults can get in on the fun at our next Adults@Play event, an adults-only takeover of the museum on Thursday, June 27, from 6 to 10 p.m. Attendees will eat, drink and play throughout the museum and take part in special summer activities:

• Enjoy live music by Fletcher Magellan
• Play a life-sized game of billiards
• Make a lanyard or friendship bracelet
• Create sand art in The Studio
• Make s’mores

Tickets are on sale for $15 each at mcm.org/adultsplay. Star Tribune is the media sponsor of this event. Candyland is the supporting sponsor.

About Minnesota Children’s Museum

Minnesota Children’s Museum sparks children’s learning through play. The museum, a nonprofit organization, serves more than 550,000 visitors each year at its locations in St. Paul and Rochester. Through interactive exhibits and programs, the museum provides open-ended, self-directed experiences that cultivate critical thinking, creativity, confidence and other lifelong skills. The museum serves as a resource for parents to advance their children’s playful learning in the museum and beyond. Minnesota Children’s Museum is a leading producer of hands-on rental exhibits for children’s museums and discovery centers. Visit mcm.org for more information.