Travels with Children
The adventures I embark upon with my four young children.Archive for Bakken Museum
Back to the Bakken
With Grandma and Grandpa visiting, we had the opportunity for a 1:1 adult-child ratio on an adventure. We gave the kids the choice (with G&G giving final approval) of Mill City Museum, the Minnesota History Center, or the Bakken Museum. 3 out of 4 chose the Bakken. The fourth is two young to understand voting. So back we went to the Bakken Museum in Minneapolis. The kids and I enjoyed our return visit, and Dad, Grandma, and Grandpa got to see why we liked it so well. When we asked the kids what their favorite part was, they said “everything.” This time there was no volunteer to show them the “magic” of electricity and I wouldn’t let the kids do it on their own; this was a small disappointment for them. (Dad, however, gave it a try and gave himself a nice shock.)
We used the library’s museum adventure passes again for the trip, so our admission for the eight of us was only $10.
We found that Grandpa’s new GPS unit was perfect for the Bakken, which is located in a residential area of Minneapolis. On our previous trip I had to do a lot of map-reading at stoplights, but this time the GPS took us right to it. Guess what I might be shopping for to help me out on further adventures?
The Bakken Museum
The Bakken Museum
3537 Zenith Ave. S (off Lake Calhoun), Minneapolis, MN. 612-926-3878. www.thebakken.org
$7 adults, $5 students & senior, 3 and under free. Free parking. Stroller accessible, though easier in some areas than others. Restrooms available.
We visited the Bakken Museum last spring while using our first Museum Adventure Pass, which was available from Minneapolis-St. Paul area libraries for admission to several different museums. The Bakken was unique enough that I hadn’t heard of it before, but since I had a free pass, we gave it a try.
The Bakken is truly an electrifying place. Most of its exhibits are on the theme of electricity. Visitors can crank a wheel to make a spark, see how primitive batteries worked, and learn about magnetism and the history of electricity. A hands-on area (with capable guide) allowed the kids to be “charged up” and demonstrate how static electricity works.
The museum was very quiet when we were there, which allowed the kids to explore their favorites several times over. I had been afraid that it would be a “looking only” museum, but there were a nice number of hands-on activities the kids could try.
There is also a Frankenstein exhibit, but the posted warnings said it might not be suitable for young children, so we didn’t go in that area.
The Bakken was a nice surprise to find. I wish I would have planned ahead a little more so that we would have had time for a nice walk around Lake Calhoun, which is just across the street.
We’ll probably go back again when the kids are a little older, and when my husband can come as well, since I think he would be interested in a lot of things at the Bakken.
I really liked doing the electricity wheel.
Travels with Children 