Mill City Museum in Minneapolis, MN
by Linda (minnemom) of Travels with Children
Mill City Museum. Photo by minnemom.
Minneapolis once had so many flour mills that it was dubbed “Mill City.” Today most of these are gone, but what remains is a museum dedicated to the milling industry and its impact on the city: Mill City Museum.
One of the newest sites of the Minnesota Historical Society, Mill City Museum sits in the ruins of the Washburn A Mill. Upon entering, you see a boxcar on rails before heading down to the museum area.
Mill City Museum Boxcar. Photo by minnemom.
Displays about the milling industry and food preparation from days gone by dot the museum floor, and there are several hands-on activities for children, including a water-table room where they can move “logs” down the “river.”
Mill City Museum. Photo by minnemom.
In the baking lab, kids can practice rolling their own dough while adults taste the fresh-baked goodie of the day.
A ride in the Flour Tower tells the history of the mill. (Just be aware that there’s a “boom!” involved.) At the top, you can look out over St. Anthony Falls and the Stone Arch Bridge.
Don’t miss Kevin Kling’s humorous film, “Minneapolis in 19 Minutes Flat,” which will entertain kids and adults alike.
Seasonally, the ruins courtyard is open for lingering, and special events are held frequently at the museum. A gift shop and cafe round out the museum. A bike and walking path runs just behind the museum along the Mississippi River.
Mill City Museum is fun for all ages. My kids beg to go back time after time, and I plan to take my parents there as well.
The Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul
Minnesota State Capitol. Photo by minnemom.
by Linda (minnemom) of Travels with Children
Although the legislative session has ended, that’s no reason to stay away from the Minnesota State Capitol. The building is open to the public, and free tours are offered by the Minnesota Historical Society. At the capitol, you can learn about the architecture of the building, see well-known paintings in the Governor’s reception room, and see the chambers of the House, Senate, and Supreme Court.
On select weekends, special scavenger hunts called “State Capitol Art Treasures Hunts” are offered for families, where kids can look for things like gophers, griffins, the north star, and other artwork hidden in the building.
At certain times, visitors are allowed on the Capitol roof to see the quadriga (golden horses) close-up and get a great vantage point of the city of St. Paul.
Visiting the Capitol during the legislative session, you can see the legislature in action and feel the hustle and bustle of government at work. At other times of the year, it’s much more quiet.
The Minnesota State Capitol is a beautiful building to visit.
If you enjoy visiting different state capitols, you may also enjoy these posts: Louisiana State Capitol and Texas State Capitol.
Alexander Ramsey House in St. Paul, MN
by Linda (minnemom) of Travels with Children
Alexander Ramsey House. Photo by *GEL**
A visit to the Alexander Ramsey House in St. Paul, Minnesota, allows visitors to step back in time to the Victorian era. This well-preserved home of Alexander Ramsey and his family was donated to the Minnesota Historical Society when the last family member died, and most of the artifacts in the home are original to the family.
The home is located in St. Paul’s Irvine Park neighborhood, just a few blocks from downtown St. Paul.
Costumed guides offer tours of the home, showing the intricate bell system and early bathroom, as well as the bedrooms, parlor, and nursery and a stop in the kitchen for a cookie.
Special programs are held to introduce visitors to Victorian customs and the Ramsey family. Some of these programs are specific to children, and some better suited to adults.
Our most recent visit was for the Ramsey House’s May Day program, and after our tour, our guide showed the children how to play games that were popular in Victorian times. Croquet was fun, but the game of “Graces” was most popular with my children. Staff and volunteers also assisted the kids in making May Baskets and little May Poles.
For a taste of life in the Victorian era, a stop at the Alexander Ramsey House fits the bill.
Schell’s Brewery Tour in New Ulm, MN
by Linda (minnemom) of Travels with Children
I’ll admit it. My kids are well-acquainted with Schell’s Brewery. It’s not that they’re beer experts or anything, but the brewery is one of our family’s favorite stops. Why? Because there’s more to Schell’s than beer.
Schell's Brewery, New Ulm, MN
Yes, the brewery tour is interesting, and the tasting of various beers for the adults and 1919 rootbeer, perhaps the best you’ll ever have, for the kids, is a draw for many to Schell’s, as is the museum the records the family-owned brewery’s history. The gift shop is filled with unique gifts in addition to Schell’s-branded items. But really, that’s not why we usually go to Schell’s.
Schell Gardens
We like Schell’s Brewery because of the gardens. We pass Applebees and Target and leave the city behind as we wind our way up the hill to the brewery area. At the top, just past the brewery and gift shop, are the Schell’s Gardens. These gardens are in bloom from spring to fall, with a series of paths meandering through the various plants. In the spring, it’s fragrant with lilies of the valley, and from there the blooms continue throughout the growing season. If we’re lucky, we’ll spot one of the peacocks, including an albino, that wander the grounds, or find a deer in the adjacent deer park.
Schell's Brewery. Can you spot the peacock on the roof?
Best of all, the Schell’s Gardens are free. We’ve been known to drive up there on a Sunday afternoon, just to take some time to relax and enjoy the quiet.
Schell Gardens
Oh, and if we happen to end up touring and tasting while we’re there, that’s just extra enjoyment.
Photo credits: minnemom
Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth, MN
by Linda (minnemom) of Travels with Children
Lake Superior Railroad Museum
For train enthusiasts young and old, the Lake Superior Railroad Museum is fun to visit. For kids, it offers the chance to climb up in real trains as well as see a model railroad and play with a Thomas playset. Adults may prefer the displays about the history of railroads on the North Shore, or the exhibit about dining cars in railroad history.
Located in the St. Louis County Heritage and Arts Center, or more simply, “The Depot,” in downtown Duluth, admission to the railroad museum also includes a pass to the attached children’s museum, local history, museum, and art exhibits. The historic building is a fitting home for the restored trains.
From the railroad crossing signs to the snowplow train to being able to climb up in a real train engine, our kids loved being around actual trains.
Lake Superior Railroad Museum
The trains on display change from time to time; you can check the museum’s website to see what’s currently on display. In the summer, some of the equipment from the museum makes its way outside and train tours of the area are offered on the North Shore Scenic Railroad.
The Lake Superior Railroad Museum is a large, family-friendly train museum.
Photo credits: minnemom
Duluth Children’s Museum in Duluth, MN
by Linda (minnemom) of Travels with Children
The Duluth Children’s Museum has been around for quite a while; I remember stopping there as a child, perhaps the only children’s museum I went to before I had children of my own. What I remember most vividly was the treehouse that was perfect for climbing from one level to another. As a child, there was something memorable about that treehouse.
We took our own kids to the Duluth Children’s Museum, and the tree house is still there. As an adult, it’s not as magical as from a child’s viewpoint. As a parent, I realized that the treehouse is great fun for kids to go up and down in, and therefore it makes it hard to keep track of multiple children on the two levels of the museum.
Other than this little detail, we enjoyed our trip to the museum. It’s not as big or showy as some children’s museums we’ve been to, but it has several exhibits that are interesting for kids.
Exhibit at Duluth Children
A bonus is that admission to the Duluth Children’s Museum includes admission to other venues in the St. Louis County Heritage and Arts Center, including the train museum, a local history museum, and art exhibit.
We spent the morning there, but we were glad to finish our museum tour before lunch because there really wasn’t anywhere nearby to eat.
This is a good stop with kids, especially on cold winter days; they’ll enjoy the children’s museum as well as the trains next door. And maybe, just maybe, they’ll find the treehouse to be as magical as I did when I was a child.
Photo credit: minnemom