Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul: Fun Experience for All Ages

Recently on a trip to Minneapolis, my six-year-old son and I were able to visit the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul. While we were there primarily for the dinosaur exhibit, we found much more to experience and enjoy at the Science Museum of Minnesota.

Science Museum of Minnesota: Main Level

The main entrance to the Science Museum of Minnesota brings you straight in to Level 5. Upon entering the museum, the first stop must be to the box office to buy wristbands for the exhibit area. For me and my son, the cost of the wristbands were $19.50, which I thought was rather high. But it did include two passes to the OmniTheater, originally priced at $11 and $6.50.

Science Museum of Minnesota: William L. McKnight-3M OmniTheater

This theater is like IMAX on crack. This rare, giant screen is dome shaped and as you walk in to find your seat, you can view the screen moving into position. An interesting side note: the Science Museum of Minnesota building was built around this huge screen.

The view is similar to a planetarium. The seats are built on a recline as the images on screen envelope you. The movie we saw, "The Mysteries of the Great Lakes", was mostly about the sturgeon fish, but some of the camera angles gave me butterflies in my stomach. It felt like I was really flying over the lakes.

Science Museum of Minnesota: Other Interesting Tidbits on Level 5

Tucked off behind the gift shop is the Sound Stairs. My friend commented these stairs turns everyone into a kid again. As one ascends and descends the stairs, a chime is played with each step.

The exhibit on Level 5 of the Science Museum of Minnesota is the Mississippi River Gallery. My son wasn't very interested in this exhibit, but I did note there was information about tugboats and wildlife that is prevalent in the Mississippi River area.

Science Museum of Minnesota: Human Body Gallery

The Human Body Gallery is located on Level 4 of the Science Museum of Minnesota. There is lots of gross stuff for kids to play with as many of the exhibits are hands-on. We were able to test our heart rate and see it on a monitor. There was a Cell Lab complete with white lab coats where children ages 8 and up could experiment with cells, including seeing a cellular sample from inside their own cheek.

Science Museum of Minnesota: CSI: The Experience

Have you ever seen the show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation? Now you can experience it first hand at the Science Museum of Minnesota. Walk into a crime scene and find clues, then take them to the lab and analyze them. Finally, submit a report to Gil Grissom himself. Are you right? Only Grissom knows!

The only drawback to this exhibit is that it only plays at certain times. But if you are fortunate enough to catch it at the right time, you too can become a forensic scientist for 15 minutes. This is a special exhibit at the Science Museum of Minnesota and is only available until January 4, 2009.

Science Museum of Minnesota: Dinosaurs and Fossils

This was the primary reason for our visit to the Science Museum of Minnesota, and we were not disappointed. My son insisted upon posing in front of each dinosaur for a photo. I checked, photography is allowed at the Science Museum of Minnesota. The highlight of the dinosaur display is the Diplodocus, which is the largest dinosaur on display at 82 feet long and weighing 12 tons.

Science Museum of Minnesota: The Eateries

I only sampled the cuisine at Chomp, the deli-type sandwich shop located on Level 3 next to the dinosaur exhibit. The food was good, although a bit overpriced. The menus for all the dining establishments can be found on the Science Museum of Minnesota's website, www.smm.org.

Science Museum of Minnesota: My Conclusion

At first I found the exhibit entry fee to be rather high, but once I toured all the displays, I was satisfied I got more than my money's worth. We weren't able to experience The Big Backyard, which features miniature golf and a maze, as it's only open seasonally.

There are lockers available on the main level, so I recommend making a day of your trip to the Science Museum of Minnesota.