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  American Swedish Institute

  2600 Park Ave Minneapolis, MN 55407 US +1-612-871-4907

  Built at the turn of the century, the house that shelters the American Swedish Institute features wonderfully eclectic details and intriguing chateau-like architecture. Inside, ornamental plasterwork, festive tiling, and a magnificent staircase display Swedish style. The organization's goal is to preserve Swedish culture in the United States, and the institute plays host to a series of concerts, recitals, films, and lectures, along with courses and festivities ­ all linked to Swedish history. House tours are available.

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  Bell Museum of Natural History

  10 Church St SE University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN 55455 US +1-612-624-7083

  UNIVERSITY. Dedicated to Minnesota's past, especially in regard to landscape and wildlife, this museum features dioramas that simulate actual forests, fields, streams, and swamps. The Touch and See Room provides real animal fur and bones that children love to handle, and rainforest exhibits and botanical artwork also please visitors. In addition, the museum store is rich in hard-to-find books and resources on natural history, including a great selection of children's books.

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  Ellingson Car Museum

  20950 Rogers Dr Rogers, MN 55374 US +1-763-428-7337

  ROGERS. You can't miss the Model-T sign that points the way to this car museum, located just off Interstate 94. The museum contains over 100 vintage vehicles, ranging from classic cars to motorcycles. The museum also has a gift shop, along with Clarabelle's Ice Cream Parlor, a '50s-style hangout that serves awesome shakes and malts when the museum hosts car shows during the season.

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  Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum

  333 E River Rd University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN 55455 US +1-612-625-9494

  UNIVERSITY. This museum's on-campus building was designed by architect Frank Gehry to house the university's extensive art collection. A work of art in and of itself, the building is a series of irregular angles and stacked cubes covered in metal. The interior is restful and contemporary, an ideal setting for viewing visiting exhibitions and the university's collection of 20th-century American art.

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  Gibbs Museum of Pioneer and Dakotah Life

  2097 W Larpenteur Ave Falcon Heights St. Paul, MN 55113 US +1-651-646-8629

  Take a horse-drawn buggy back in time to the 1870s at this living history site. Pioneers Henry and Jane Gibbs inhabited the original "soddy" from which the current farmhouse evolved. Visitors learn about Minnesota's rapid changes towards the end of the 19th century and explore an authentic barn and one-room schoolhouse, along with replicas of the original sod structure and Dakotah tipis and barklodges. Interpreters in period dress perform tasks that keep the farm working, as well as entertaining both parents and children. Kids love the gift shop with its wide array of old-time sweets.

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  Mill City Museum

  704 S 2nd St Minneapolis, MN 55401 US +1-612-341-7555

  MILL DISTRICT. From 1880 until the end of World War I, Minneapolis led the nation ­ and the world ­ in flour production. The Washburn A Mill was the largest flour mill in existence; its remains now house this museum, which recounts the importance of the flour industry to Minneapolis and explains the milling process through interactive exhibits. Authentic railroad cars and milling equipment are also on view. Kids love the eight-story Flour Tower, and parents appreciate the on-site cafe for its coffee and light snacks.

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  Minneapolis Institute of Arts

  2400 3rd Ave S Minneapolis, MN 55404 US +1-612-870-3131

  WHITTIER. This internationally renowned museum boasts a permanent collection of more than 80,000 items representing prehistoric to modern eras. Highlights include a 2000-year-old mummy and an exquisite collection of Chinese jade. The Institute also houses an excellent collection of Impressionist works. Period rooms feature original objects and furnishings from upper-class European homes and from America's early decades. Films, concerts, lectures, tours, and special events are offered throughout the year.

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  Minnesota Children's Museum

  10 W 7th St St. Paul, MN 55102-1104 US +1-651-225-6000

  DOWNTOWN. A fun and entertaining hands-on museum designed especially for children ranging in age from 6 months to 12 years. Changing exhibits in art, science and the humanities feature interactive shows with such topics as people around the world, the earth and our environment, castles, dinosaurs and children's literature.

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  Minnesota History Center

  345 Kellogg Blvd W St. Paul, MN 55102-1903 US +1-651-259-3000

  WEST ST. PAUL. Minnesota's answer to the Smithsonian Institution, this center is dedicated to preserving the history of the state. Focusing on everything from logging to native rock singer Prince, exhibits are lively and engaging. A historical building in and of itself, the center devotes over 400,000 square feet of space to display, archive, and research. Classes and presentations are offered in 3M Auditorium, and the center features two museum stores, one specifically intended for children.

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  Minnesota Sculpture Garden

  724 Vineland Pl Minneapolis, MN 55403 US +1-612-375-7600

  LORING PARK. Located next to Walker Art Center, this facility is the country's largest urban sculpture garden. More than 40 examples of modern, three-dimensional art are spread across 11 acres, and the best-known is arguably a 52-foot spoon holding a 9½-foot cherry titled "Spoonbridge and Cherry" by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen.