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MuseumsFamily favoriteRainy-day pick

Bell Museum

2088 Larpenteur Ave W, St. Paul, MN 55113 · St. Paul, MN

Why you should go…

Minnesota's official natural history museum pairs its famous wildlife dioramas, painstakingly restored scenes of moose, wolves, and shorebirds with backdrops by artist Francis Lee Jaques, with a modern digital planetarium. The museum moved into its light-filled home on the university's St. Paul campus in 2018, adding the hands-on Touch & See Lab, an outdoor learning landscape, and rotating exhibitions. Gallery admission runs $15 for adults, with planetarium shows and money-saving combo tickets available for a few dollars more.

  • #planetarium
  • #natural history
  • #dioramas
  • #family
  • #science

Good to know

General museums guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Check the special exhibition separately

    Touring shows usually carry their own ticket and their own opening hours, listed apart from general admission.

  • Look for the free window

    Many museums run community days, member evenings, or discounted late openings. It is worth a look before you pay full price.

  • Travel light through the door

    Large bags and backpacks often have to go to a coat check, and lines for it move slowly at opening.

  • Weekday mornings beat weekend afternoons

    School groups clear out by early afternoon midweek, while weekends stay busy from late morning on.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Bell Museum, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    Como Park Zoo & Conservatory

    Free

    St. Paul's beloved free zoo and glass-domed Victorian conservatory, gorillas, orchids and polar bears, no ticket needed.

    1.9 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Museums
    Free

    Weisman Art Museum

    Free

    Frank Gehry's crumpled stainless-steel landmark on the Mississippi bluff, 20,000+ artworks and always-free admission at the U of M.

    2.8 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Stone Arch Bridge

    Free

    James J. Hill's 1883 stone rail bridge, now a beloved walk-and-bike crossing over St. Anthony Falls, freshly restored and fully reopened in 2025.

    3.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Theatre & Events
    Iconic

    Guthrie Theater

    $25–$50

    World-class theater on the riverfront, wander its cantilevered Endless Bridge for free Mississippi views.

    3.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Theatre & Events

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Mill City Museum

    Under $25

    A museum built into the ruins of the world's largest flour mill, with an 8-story elevator show and rooftop river views.

    3.5 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Local Gem

    American Swedish Institute

    Under $25

    A turreted 1908 castle-mansion turned Nordic culture hub, with craft workshops, exhibitions, and the celebrated New Nordic café FIKA.

    4.6 mi awayMore like this