Visit - Minnesota Children's Museum

Visitor Information

⚬ All visitors, including members, must have a reservation

⚬ Masks required for visitors age 5 and older (and encouraged for children ages 2 to 4)

⚬ Bring your own masks

⚬ Arrive within 10 minutes of your scheduled time

⚬ Plan to practice social distancing

Hours

Schedule a Visit

Parking

Things to Know Before You Visit

COVID-19 Precautions

The health and safety of our staff and visitors is our top priority. 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

Tickets

What if the day or time I want to visit is sold out?

We apologize for the inconvenience. We have a limited number of tickets available each hour to adhere to capacity limits mandated in the Stay Safe MN order.

We appreciate the excitement to return to family play and learning. We encourage you to try again and consider off-peak times for visiting the museum. Thank you for your understanding.

What if I buy advance tickets but can’t visit on that day or at that time for some reason? Can I reschedule or get a refund?

Tickets are non-refundable. However, if someone who is planning to visit has a fever, persistent cough or other signs of illness, please call 651-225-6000 to reschedule your visit.

Can I use museum tickets I already have?

Yes, please call 651-225-6000 to make a reservation with existing tickets.

Our Exhibits

Three Floors of Fun!

From the irresistible pretend town in Our World to the delightful toddler play spaces in Sprouts, our experiences spark joy and foster growth through the awesome power of play.

Learn More

Food & Amenities

Will the café and store be open?

The café and store is open with additional sanitizing, social distancing and other precautions in place. The menu and hours may be limited.

Do you have quieter spaces for resting, nursing, etc.?

There are two small quiet comfort rooms if visitors need to step away from the action with their child. If you have specific questions or need special accommodations, please call us prior to your visit.

Do you have restrooms and changing rooms available?

We have family/single stall and multi-stall restrooms on all floors. Changing stations are available on all floors in all restrooms (except the single stall restrooms on the first floor).

Are there lockers available?

Yes, limited lockers are available on a first come, first served basis. Lockers are cleaned, disinfected and sanitized every night. Sanitizing wipes are also available for visitors to wipe down lockers between uses. Lockers require four quarters for each single-time use. Coat racks are currently not available.

Does the museum have WiFi?

Yes, free WiFi is available. Choose MCM-Public on your mobile device. Text “playing wifi” to 56512 for the current password. Or, ask a staff person in an orange shirt for the code.

General Information

Can I bring a stroller into the museum?

Yes. 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.

What should I wear/pack?

Masks for you and your children. They are required for visitors age 5 and older – and strongly encouraged for children ages 2 to 4.

This is a playful space where children and adults alike can play throughout the museum. To get the most out of your experience, we suggest wearing comfortable clothes and shoes and bringing:

Water bottles – Consider bringing your own water. The museum water fountains have been temporarily turned off

Extra clothes – Sometimes children get wet in our Forces at Play and Sprouts exhibits.

Sunscreen – Two of our galleries are located outside.

May I drop off my children at the museum?

No. All children visiting the museum must be accompanied and supervised by an adult 18 years old or older at all times.

Experiences

What galleries and experiences will be open and closed?

All permanent exhibits will be open except The Scramble, which will be closed. We have removed soft props and costumes. We have closed or removed some components, including the face painting station. The air blowers in Forces at Play will not be turned on.

What age range does the museum serve?

Kids from 1 to 10 or even older have fun in the museum. We have hands-on exhibits that appeal to a variety of ages and interests. Most of the exhibits have something for everyone, but here’s a general guide:

For older kids:

The Studio – A maker space with real tools and authentic materials

Super Awesome Adventures – Carpet skating, laser maze and green-screen climbing wall

For 3 and under:

Sprouts – Joyful landscape of discovery with its own water tables

Tot Spots – Many exhibits have an area designed specifically for our youngest visitors

Will outdoors spaces be open?

Yes. The Backyard and Tip Top Terrace will be open.

Will the water features be open? Are there special safety precautions in place?

The water features in Sprouts and Forces at Play will be open. The water in Sprouts is treated with disinfecting UV light. The water in Forces at Play is fresh and not recirculated or reused.

Masks

Why are you requiring visitors to wear a mask?

We are requiring most visitors to wear a mask because it’s the right thing to do. Public health officials say wearing masks in public is essential part of reducing the transmission of COVID-19.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that people wear cloth face coverings in public settings when around people outside of their household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.

In St. Paul, Mayor Melvin Carter signed an executive order requiring masks in businesses and city-owned facilities. This order exempts “young children at risk of suffocation” and “persons who cannot medically tolerate wearing a face covering.”

Why did you pick age 5 as the cutoff for requiring masks?

The CDC says children 2 and under should not wear face coverings. Beyond that, there is little clear guidance about young children wearing masks. Some young children tolerate masks. Others do not. The museum is trying to balance the need for health precautions with the practicalities of adult visitors managing masks on small children. We are strongly encouraging parents and other caregivers to have their children ages 2 to 4 years old wear a mask in the museum.

What about people who can’t wear a mask for medical reasons?

Our policy is that all adult visitors must wear a face covering during their visit.

The museum understands that some adults and children either cannot tolerate wearing a mask or should not wear a mask for medical reasons.

Museum staff will ask any adult not wearing a mask to wear a face shield instead. The museum has face shields available adults may use during their visit. If a visitor declines to wear a face covering, staff will ask the visitor to leave the museum.

Please plan accordingly. If any adult in your party does not want to wear a mask or face shield, this person should not visit the museum.

Adults and children may remove their mask or face shield while dining in the museum café.

We value all our visitors and look forward to a time when we’re able to welcome everyone back without special precautions in place. In the meantime, we’re asking people to do what they can to help us provide as safe an environment as possible for our visitors and staff.

Cleaning

How often do you clean the museum and the props?

We have put in place enhanced clearing procedures. Bathrooms and gallery components are cleaned and disinfected multiple times daily. We clean our props regularly. If you find a prop that needs cleaning, please let a staff member in an orange shirt know or place it in a marked bin in the gallery.

Capacity

How many people will be in the museum at any one time?

The museum abides by capacity limits laid out by the state’s current Stay Safe order, which describes maximum of 25% of capacity. We are spacing out reservations to make sure we can limit capacity and maintain social distance in galleries and common areas.

Family Memberships

Can I apply the price of admission to a membership?

Yes. If you buy tickets and decide during your visit to become a member, stop by the box office and we will apply your family’s admission price toward the membership cost. Member families enjoy a year of unlimited play and a variety of special perks. All memberships include all children in the household under 18 and 2 listed adults.

Birthday Parties & Field Trips

Can I book a party or field trip?

No. The museum is not hosting birthday parties or accepting group visits until further notice.

Accessibility

Do you have support materials for children with different abilities?

Minnesota Children’s Museum is dedicated to making our space accessible and inclusive to people with a wide range of abilities and preferences. Learn more about some of the options we provide for you to personalize your play here. If you have specific questions or need accommodations, please call us prior to your visit.

Lost & Found

Do you have a lost and found?

Yes. Lost and found is located at our security desk near our West Seventh Street entrance. You may reach the security desk at 651-225-6056.

Our exhibits are funded in part with money from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund that was created with the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.