We’re reopening our doors Aug. 1 following a more than three-month closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Advance tickets are available now.

We look forward to welcoming you back when it feels right for your family to return.

Read on for helpful tips about what to expect during your visit.

Plan Ahead

Advance reservations are available now and required for all museum visitors, including members. Scheduling visits in advance allows the museum to manage capacity in the building and creates space to maintain social distancing.

The museum will be open Thursday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $14.95 for ages 1 to 101 and free to members. Visitors should plan to arrive no more than 10 minutes before or after their scheduled time.

Food & Amenities

The café and store will open with additional sanitizing, social distancing and other precautions in place. The menu and hours may be limited. To maximize safe hygiene, we urge visitors to avoid bringing food into the museum. Water bottles are permitted (water fountains in the museum will be turned off).

Please note we will encourage visitors to use stairs as much as possible. Elevators will be limited to one family or visitor party at a time.

Bring Masks

All visitors age 5 and older are required to wear a mask. Masks are strongly encouraged for children ages 2 to 4. Museum staff will be wearing masks and will also be practicing social distancing.

The health and safety of our staff and visitors is our top priority. We’ve been busy over the past few weeks closely reviewing guidelines from the Minnesota Department of Health, working to get the museum ready and putting safety measures into place.

Prepare to Social Distance

Maintain six feet of distance from other guest parties.

Only one guest party at a time per elevator car 

Limit Visit Time

Please limit visit to three hours or less to help the museum manage capacity

Additional Safety Precautions

In preparation for opening, museum staff have:

• Enhanced our procedures for cleaning and sanitizing all museum spaces
• Put up Plexiglass barriers in the box office and security desk area
• Installed additional hand sanitizer stations throughout the museum
• Removed soft props and costumes
• Removed or modified some experiences, including face painting and air play
• Upgraded air filters and created new protocol for monitoring air flow
• Created process for staff wellness checks to be performed daily

The museum feels strongly about providing playful learning opportunities as our community emerges from the pandemic. Play sparks joy. Play eases the effects of stress and anxiety. Kids learn, grow and expand their minds through play. Thank you for your generous support and understanding during these challenging months. See you soon!