Such a great hands on science museum. However, first time in the four years I've gone that I got to learn humidity effects static electricity and so Ben Franklin's experience did not happen today. Blue Star Museum for military members. Also has a great 10 minute immersive experience for Frankenstein Monster My 16 year old niece visited and 1 hr was not enough time. Also, local art is now a permanent feature

So incredible! Far exceeded expectations and the staff is phenomenal!! Can't wait to go back! Update: I went back with my 5 year old son. He has begged everyday to go back!! With 4 boys ages 5-19, I have spent many days in museums; this is my all time favorite inside and out!! Thank you, to the entire staff for priceless memories. We can't wait to go back again!!

Lots of hands-on activities in this museum, the kids (ages 5,8,10) really enjoyed the current SPARK exhibit. Tickets are very reasonably priced. We visited in winter, but the outdoor spaces look like they’d be lovely. Oh, and the Lego Hide&Seek was a fun challenge, we absolutely could not find Florence Nightingale, maybe you will!

The Bakken museum was the perfect venue for HUGE theater’s Black and Funny improv festival. The rooftop made for a safe setting and allowed me sit and enjoy myself under a tent while looking out into the skyline. There were moments I thought I was in France, with the glass and metal pyramids on the rooftop and the beautiful gardens and landscaping on all sides. The museum itself is modern and their current exhibit is hands on and makes use of animation and electronic art. Read all things Twin Cities and reviews at the global dig.blogspot.com

Took our grandkids, ages 6 and 11. Absolutely fantastic! The exhibits are great for all ages. I want to go back just to admire the architecture.

This museum is amazing ! My son & niece loved it ! I enjoyed the history, the art & architecture! Awesome place to visit! Prices are great as well!

This is a deceivingly large museum. Very fun to explore half a mansion, but all museum. Inside and out there are fascinating exhibits of art. Lots of hands on instruments and displays. There is a music drum near to the front desk. Not sure how the staff tolerates so well the fascinated patron who is determined to compose something great! 😁 I think my favorite part is the not so subtle dark and spooky side to it. An homage to the classic Mary Shelly, Frankenstein's Monster. The desk staff "Jim" and a couple more have been most friendly, pleasant and informative. Gift shop is tiny, but keeps your eyes looking at the unique doo dads and very pleasantly blends in the theme of dark with science and science fiction. On weekends, "Mr. Awesome" comes in and gives demonstrations (always looking for participants) showing how you can make electricity dance.

A great place with lots of learning and hands on experiments.

The Bakken Museum is an absolute gem of a museum. The building it is in is fascinating. The rooms have a beautiful charm to them. The Frankenstein play and room is outstanding. The place is perfect for children to explore and adults to be entertained. It is off the beaten path but certainly worth a stop.

As a family, we had so much fun here! I wish we would’ve had more time! The kids enjoyed the crafts and especially trying the prosthetics. There is a lot to see and do. If we lived closer, we would definitely visit again! The staff were all very kind and helpful.

A must see for locals!

The Bakken Museum has so much charm! My first time doing a photo booth event here and I was surprised at the Beaty and the elegance. Must book this venue! But here’s why I’m writing this review: The staff here offers top of the line best service! Super caring of the guest and of all of us vendors! Super helpful, responsive and very nice to me when coordinating everything with the photo booth services for the night! I love being at venues where the service matches the venue! Thank you so much for having me!

The best! Beyond the gorgeous grounds ...My daughter and 2 GRANDKIDDOS HAD A BLAST!. Caitlin was fabulous took the time to guide us thru excellent kid demos and projects, answered our many questions kept boys engaged in fun activities the entire time. What a find, what a jewel. Thanks to all the staff last weekend !!

Great private museum, targeted at 10yr+ good variety of exhibits with high levels of interactivity.

Great little Museum tucked away near Uptown. Fun to go during one of their tasting events and pair a Museum visit with a cocktail or two!

This was a great place to go! Great for families and school groups. There was so much to do here. The sound and stop motion room was probably the favorite room. I also enjoyed the Frankenstein room where they had a little show play with the story of Frankenstein. The electricity area was fun to explore using static electricity. The place used to be a home and to see some of the old rooms was very exciting. I enjoyed the courtyard with the koi pond. I highly recommend this place. Easily could have spent many hours exploring all of the content provided here.

Great place to bring kids!!! Plus it's interesting/ fun for the parents too 😉. Close to lake Bde Maka Ska (aka Lake Calhoun). If you have a child who is melting down at the lake...head over to the Bakken and the kids can "shock each other or raise their hair. The top floor has a Frankenstein exhibit which has plenty of places to sit! Pro tip to Hennepin County residents: with your library @hclib card you can get into many museums, including the Bakken, Mill City, and Russian art museum, etc!!! Contact your local library for details...#MN

Awesome place for families

I absolutely loved this place! There were interesting facts about science, electricity, books and more! This place is perfect for kids because there is tons of interactive activities such as electricity shocks, Frankenstein film (with jump scare) and more amazing things. The design is very intricate and directed toward kids AND adults. The only thing I would say is it gets a little dull, but my family and I spent a good hour and thirty minutes here. Great place for family activities!

Very kid friendly and interactive!! My grandkid and I went there and we were there for HOURS! We went to Mr. Awesome's (It's on his name tag) presentation and it was very interesting and interactive kids loved it. Parking was very nice, and the whole place is wheelchair friendly too.

Cool little museum for families. Kids seem to enjoy the science exhibits. Cool looking Tudor Style home. Nice garden areas too. Friendly staff. Close proximity to Bde Maka Ska.

This is such a beautiful historical building / setting, and the staff members were professional and personable. However, I think it's too bad that the museum seems to offer a feminist agenda that uplifts women over men. (Only women scientist bios displayed in the Spark / project room, etc.)

This place is awesome! What a fun little museum tucked away in residential SW Mpls in an old Tudor-style mansion. Our two young boys had a great time running around and learning about electricity and Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein. The next day our 5 year old asked if we could go again. Good thing we live nearby!

New exhibits were nice, kind of miss some of the old ones. The kids loved it tho. The LEGO mini figure scavenger hunt was fun

This place was amazing. So many many trails to walk on and the trails were super clean.

Off the charts wonderful. Hands on exhibits and unique old world building

What a disappointment! A very wet day so did not get to visit the medicinal garden but toured the remainder of the exhibits. What little was presented was poorly displayed and difficult to see. Of the hands-on learning items, many were damaged or non-functioning.

Come for the museum, stay for… the vending machine! This is one of our 6yo sons favorite weekend adventures. We love the scavenger hunts, the interactive science exhibits, and the games. There are always cool special events, like when we met a life size, fully functioning R2-D2. But the highlight is always the vending machine treat. My son says it’s the best vending machine in town. They mix up their offerings, but there’s always something for everyone- crunchy, sweet, salty, caffeine, hydration, healthy or indulgent. You just can’t go wrong. Fine dining at affordable prices.

Amazing museum celebrating the medical device history of Minnesota and Earl Bakken! Interactive, scientific, educational, and fun--this place is so fun to explore right on the banks of Lake Calhoun. Exceptional staff--so friendly and excellent programs to supply accesses to all--we really appreciate this neighborhood gem. Looking forward to the summer camps!

Lots of fun! Good thing to do on a rainy day with kids. Not busy so the kids had time to really get into every exhibit which was nice.

My daughters love this place. It’s a fun museum for adults and kids alike. Enjoy exploring a remodeled mansion with a rich history while learning about the breakthrough technologies that gave rise to modern electricity. They have some very creative hands-on exhibits that will “charge” your day. And another exhibit of Frankenstein that shows how the story and the monster came to life. And you can’t beat the location right next to the lake. It’s worth a visit in winter or summer. And if you’re a veteran, they are a Blue Star Museum, which gives you and your family discounted or free access.

It was very cool. The hidden Legos were fun to find. We would definitely go back again.

Absolutely incredible staff, well kept space, all around a 5-star experience! Chris and his staff know how to provide a luxury experience, they provided professional expertise and a helping hand every moment of the day. I cannot wait to be back at The Bakken for another wedding! I HIGHLY recommend hosting an event at The Bakken.

Fun and educational experience in Bakken museum. Very affordable prices for tickets.

Great for grade school on up!

The building was beautiful! There was a ton of stuff closed so the total museum took only 35 minutes to walk through. Felt like I missed something because there was not much there. I sadly feel like it was a waste of money and I am curious about the other exhibits but unsure about spending the money to return. Enjoyed the walk to get there!

Jim at the desk was awesome and gave a warm welcome. The museum was electrically stimulating. Good luck finding all the Lego characters fun challenge if your up for it :)

A treasure out of the past. Architecturally fascinating, rich with history, and full of fun exhibits for children and adults. Walk the lovely garden, learn about electromagnetism, or catch the delightful Frankenstein show. The Bakken Museum also frequently puts on fun themed events, electromagnetism for the kids, wine tasting for adults, that sort of thing. You can't go wrong.

An excellent museum for kids. Thank you for such a wonderful experience.

Had a great time and got to buy some collectibles. The exibits were amazing but I wish I got to see more. Unfortunately things weren't working and due to covid other experiences were closed pff. But the electric part was SUPER FUN!!!!

Beautiful, historic home renovated into a science museum.

Wonderful remodel with enjoyable interactive exhibits for all ages.

Tiny,lovely and educational

Museum aimed at elementary and middle school children. Very limited but hands-on exhibits. Can be enjoyable for the audience it serves.

Beautiful house. A bit disappointing on the history of Earl Bakken. You need to read about him onlne otherwise the visit appeals to only children. He was an amazing person which didn't really come out on our visit.

This is a great museum to visit during Covid because it’s open!! And it’s only $5 😊 You just have to purchase your tickets ahead of time and show up for your timed entry. I’ve never been here before Covid but it seemed like all the regular exhibits were open besides the part that’s under construction. Despite the construction, there’s enough to do here for about 1-2 hours. It’s not a huge museum, but it’s kind of nice because you can see it all in one visit and not be overwhelmed. I thoroughly enjoyed the Frankenstein exhibit - it was very well done albeit a little scary for children. My husband and I spent most of our time there. The medicinal gardens are also a little oasis amidst the busyness of Lake Calhoun/Bde Maka Ska. During our visit, we felt we saw everything there was to see so we probably wouldn’t go back, except perhaps to see the new exhibits once they’re complete. The staff was very friendly and I felt the safety measures they’re taking for Covid were thorough. Overall, we had a great time and enjoyed just getting out! Go out and support this local museum and enjoy an inexpensive date!

Great place to bring kids or a date

We love this museum and the hands on exhibits for all ages to enjoy and learn about science!

Needs a refreshing of exhibits.

Daughter needed extra credit, great experience, well run, friendly staff.

We just got married at the Bakken and it could not have been more perfect. Everyone was so accommodating and lovely to work with!

Beautiful house, Great place for families. At the tihe short tour reconstruction...will be complete by summer.

Interesting displays. Remodeling. Nice for parties with historic rooms.

Incredible architecture in the mansion. Great interactive exhibits for kids. Friendly and helpful staff.

Love the history of Mr Tesler

Amazing little museum

THEY HAVE A THEREMIN And full garden of medicinal plants (minus cannabis). This is a very fun museum to visit.

Amazing place to bring kids and adults!

great experience

Small but fun.

Very interesting museum. Good activity for kids and still engaging for adults.

Wonderful events for kids.Staff very helpful and kid friendly

What an amazing place! I had my wedding ceremony and reception at The Bakken. It was the perfect place for our intimate 30 guest wedding. Our hosts Chris and Angela were very helpful and caring, they made sure every detail of the day was exactly how I imagined it. Even when last minute we had to move inside due to snow! This building is stunning and the people in it are amazing. I highly suggest the Bakken for hosting an event.

I love the electricity museum!! I went there as a child and again recently!! It was awesome!! They still have the Frankenstein show and the static electricity toys are super fun to play with, the cutest little library and to top it off its in a beautiful mansion!!

How in the world did it take me so long to discover the Bakken Museum? Not only was the architecture lovely, the displays were fascinating. I loved learning about early electrical engineering, especially for medical use. My favorite time was taken in the small library nook to enjoy the Ben Franklin collection. Absolutely the best.

Very lovely place! Science museums are always fun and this is no exception. My boyfriend and I had an especially fun time putting down notes on the Bakkenspiel so we could play songs. And the Lego hunt they have is super duper fun! Was definitely a lot trickier than we expected but we managed to find all of them.