The Bakken Museum

My husband CJ & I hosted our wedding here this fall and it was the most perfect day!! Chris & Alice were wonderful to work with, and truly helped bring everything to life for us. All the staff at the Bakken were so kind and helpful. Over two years of planning, I could not have asked for better partners to work through all the details together with. Thank you thank you! <3

Had an amazing time talking with a few of the workers, especially loved getting shown around the rooftop garden and the medicinal plants! Museum is adorable, love the architecture. Lots of history and fun for all ages

The Bakken Museum is a treasured venue that sits on a hill overlooking Bde Maka Ska (formerly known as Lake Calhoun). The former West Winds mansion with a slate roof and Gothic architecture was purchased by engineer and inventor Earl Bakken who invented the pacemaker and was a co-founder of Medtronic. The museum appeals to all ages and has fun and educational interactive displays. A favorite display is the Frankenstein Room. There is also a collection of pacemakers from the earliest to the most recent technology. Millions of heart patients around the world have benefitted from pacemakers. My uncle was one of the first recipients; my dad, age 92, has a longer life expectancy because of receiving a pacemaker. The museum doubles as a venue for social events (weddings, anniversaries, company parties, etc). Amenities abound: beautiful gardens with medicinal plants; a koi pond; huge terrace; a leafy gazebo; interior spaces suited for dining and dancing; a view of the lake.

This place truly has something for everyone. Well worth a visit if you’re in the area, and looking for a museum that touches on a number of the sciences. I really enjoyed the gardens and architecture of the site. Maddie at the front desk was super friendly!

Excellent small museum for kids and adults alike, showing several experiments to stimulate kids in STEM areas. We loved the ones with electricity and the history behind it explained. The little ones in our party also enjoyed playing and building with the wooden blocks and the older ones liked the Frankenstein room. Plan at least two hours for your next visit and more if you go during warmer months.

I hadn’t been to the Bakken since elementary school, it’s even better than I remember it! I loved the interactive static electricity and stop motion exhibits especially. The Frankenstein show gave me a bit of a spook but was really interesting and engaging. Kind staff members and super cool architecture!

A quirky collection of hands on exhibits and medical technology collections founded by a med device pioneer from Minnesota. Our DD visited on a fourth grade school trip and was excited to have us join her for a return visit. We spent about 3 hours, and didn't experience everything, but covered 90% of what interested us. An electric mix of tech history meets natural world meets sci-fi and innovation. The staff were helpful and someone operated the "Edison" electricity demonstration exhibit for us. There were hidden Lego figures throughout the museum that we could check off to earn a trinket. Also, simply a lovely building with well- manicured grounds and a green roof. Worth a visit for anyone living in/near Hennepin or Ramsey county.

Don't leave until you see the Frankenstein show, but make sure you have 10 full minutes to kill. Also, notice the QR codes on the walls and scan them - it's as close to a tour as you're going to get. Lovely place, a lot to learn. The book with the flippable pages that turns into a full scale presentation is neat.

FAMILY FUN DAY at the The Bakken Museum!!! We had an unexpectedly great time. Each of us enjoyed a different aspect of this unique place: - My teen son loved the interactive, tech-inspired exhibits - I loved the beautiful Gothic/Tudor architecture and the history of the families that lived in the mansion throughout the years -Hubby loved the calming outdoor spaces and medicinal gardens - Our tween daughter loved her scavenger hunt for Lego people that were hidden throughout the museum From their website: The Bakken Museum inspires a passion for innovation by exploring the potential for science, technology, and the humanities to make the world a better place. Located on the West shore of Bde Maka Ska in Minneapolis, the museum features interactive exhibits for all ages and exceptional STEM education programs. Make movies in the Spark exhibit, meet the mother of science fiction in Mary & Her Monster, and test out some of Ben Franklin's favorite experiments in the Electricity Party Room.

A total gem - The Bakken Museum hits hard, not only from the buzz of learning something new but from how fresh everything feels. Never thought I'd skip this spot for years, even though it's near my usual bike trail. Not just another exhibit hall - it sparks real wonder, like flipping on a light in a dark room. You walk out seeing things differently, especially those hidden powers running behind everyday life. Finding it tucked where it is? Unexpected. Sure, I've passed by loads of times, pedaling right past without stopping. But now? No way am I sleeping on it again. Right when I walked in, it hit me - this place was different, almost magnetic. No question about it, the highlight had to be the West Wing Mansion. It's more than just walls and floors - it's like a snapshot from the past, carefully kept alive. As I moved through the graceful halls, packed with old tools and exhibits, history came alive. Best part? Learning stuff didn't feel forced - it flowed naturally with everything around. The museum isn't about flashy displays - it shows what makes each item tick, telling stories of wild breakthroughs or the clever people who made them happen. Then comes power - yeah, electric juice. Those sections on how electricity works? Totally mind-blowing. Sure, I liked science before, yet this place cranked up my curiosity big time. They break down tricky ideas using simple words, fun visuals, so you actually get it without zoning out. One moment I'm looking at basic ideas, next I'm stuck on complex setups - each exhibit pulled me in. Not just scanning signs, but actually sensing electricity through sound, touch, sight. Walked out knowing way more about how this invisible push shapes everything - from turning on lights to nerves firing in your arms. Totally didn't expect to run into something that matched a story from my English lesson. Keeping details quiet so you can discover it yourself, yet realizing then and there: stories, creativity, facts - they're all tangled up in real life. On top of that, it deepened how I saw things, making the experience stick in my mind like a real-life story. What stands out is how well everything's put together - clearly, care went into reaching different kinds of people. At The Bakken Museum, you get what good exhibit planning looks like in action. Things to touch and try, but nothing flashy or fake-feeling; facts served straight, never too much at once - it just works. Workers knew their stuff, genuinely excited, which lifted the whole vibe. Curious about how science shaped life? Head to The Bakken Museum - it'll grab your attention no matter who you are. It might just do it better than school, it sure did for me! This isn't just for nerds or kids; it's for anyone who likes surprises. You'll learn stuff without feeling like you're studying, laugh a bit, maybe jump when something zaps. Honestly, few places deliver this much fun with electricity - real and metaphorical. Skip waiting around like I did. Just go.

We enjoyed a few hours exploring the museum and playing with our kiddo in the interactive exhibits. This is an awesome museum for those interested by the intersection of science and medicine.

This is a beautiful science museum in an old mansion. There's a lot of building toys and cool exhibits about electricity. There's a scary presentation about Frankenstein that made me jump! I went with my friend in the summer time, and we are both adults, but we we enjoyed the exhibition and the activities. The outdoor garden and beautiful as well, and we enjoyed sitting in the shade right by the koi pond. So peaceful. The staff was very cheerful and friendly. Five stars. LOVE!

We had a great time at the Bakken museum with our 6 year olds. I would note that this is probably the youngest age I would take our kids, but they loved it and we spent a good 2 hours there. There are many hands on activities including building blocks, making music, and electricity. Also, there's a fun hunt for legos in each room!

My friend and I visited the Bakken Museum when we were in Minneapolis for Memorial Day weekend. It's a small and quirky museum. Officially, it's a museum dedicated to passion for innovation and exploring the potential for science, technology, and the humanities to make the world a better place. It has several small but interest exhibits - Ben Franklin's Electricity Party (I didn't think I'd enjoy this - that it was more for kids - but I had tons of fun in that room), Frankenstein's Laboratory, and the gardens and grounds. It doesn't feel like a large comprehensive museum, but it's an interesting museum in a great location - and the older building is beautiful! I'm not sure I'd return again, but it was really fun to visit once! Especially great for people who are interested in the use of science (not just the science itself)!

Came here with my partner over the Memorial Day weekend, the Bakken is in a really pretty part of the Chain of Lakes next to Bde Maka Ska. The exterior garden is really well done, but most of the enjoyment comes from the activities inside. It's well designed for kids and parents, with some fun interactive exhibits that let kids experience with animation and color. The Mary Shelly/Frankenstein exhibit is additionally interesting. One of the best things for us, honestly, was the Lego person scavenger hunt. The staff have hidden historical figures throughout the museum and many a child (and adult!) spent an hour or two trying to find them. Some are easier to find than others so be warned to check every corner and nook!

For some reason hearing that we were invited to go to the Bakken Museum didn't make feel like I was going enjoy it. It sounds like it was going to be a cold dark type of museum if you catch my drift. I WAS TOTALLY WRONG. I should've done my research and then I would've saw that it was actually a really beautiful property. Across the street from Lake Bde Maka Ska was The Bakken Museum so the views were beautiful. Walking in you are greeted by friendly staff and a beautiful SPARK sign. There are so many different activities that will SPARK your inner innovator my little one's loved the magnetic music wheel and the collaboration canvas. My teenager loved the animation station and Mary and Her Monster. SPARK was really fun but the best parts for us all was the Benjamin Franklin's electricity party exhibit. Its literally quite "shocking"! They have a lego scavenger hunt and on the weekends they have fun science activities for children of all ages. The Keva planks are also so much fun to build with. They counter balance themselves so it's easier to build things with it falling down. One of the staff members named Jayne was so so so amazing with my kids she was patient kind and so full of knowledge. She made the experience even better. Another staff member spoke with us and was so informative about The history of the home before it was turned into a museum it was really quite interesting and he gave us some really cool fun facts about it's background. The home was really nicely done for it's time. I enjoyed walking about and looking. The garden was beautiful and peaceful. It's just a glimpse of what is now history. Our experience was really wonderful I look forward to going back with my kids soon.

A visit to this museum had been on my bucket list since moving to Minnesota in 2018 and we finally made it happen! Earl Bakken, the inventor of the pacemaker and founder of Medtronic, purchased this mansion as a place to display things he'd collected over the years. In time, the mansion became the Bakken Museum, with a mission to nurture a love of science in all who visit. There are lots of hands-on displays for kids of all ages. My kids loved the scavenger. I loved the outdoor garden area and the home itself. Parking is free. Staff is super friendly and helpful Great learning opportunities and a good spot for field trips! Click here to read more about it: https://kathrynegly.com/2022/01/27/explore-the-bakken-museum-win-tickets-to-visit/ Here's my Minnesota Bucket list: https://kathrynegly.com/2018/08/01/my-top-25-minnesota-bucket-list/

We stopped in here on a visit to Minneapolis. Son #4 thought it would be a cool place to stop in as well as hubby (engineers). I'm always down for checking out a new place, so we had some fun here. First of all, the building is beautiful! They have a brochure telling you all about its history and you can rent it out for a special event. The grounds are well kept and there is a free parking lot in the back. They have night time outings for grown ups here. Inside they have lots of hands on exhibits as well as volunteers helping you out with them. This is perfect if you have a STEM kid, albeit my college freshman was a bit older and taller than the other visitors. We had a good time upstairs at the Ben Franklin Electricity exhibit. There were lots of things to try and hubby and son were talking about lots of technical stuff as a result. The Frankenstein room was also very interesting but it was something to watch, not really participate in. Everything in this place is clean and looks fairly new, the upkeep is great! If I still had a school age kid, this would be on my rotation of outings during the winter and I would get a membership. Places like this need help financially as well as manpower, so if you are in the area, think about it. Thanks for the fun!

We stopped over here a couple weeks ago with our family. And were so pleasantly surprised,. It was a great place to bring my three and five year old, and the nieces and nephews had a blast too.

This is a "classic" Twin Cities museum and well worth your visit. The newly remodeled first floor is very attractive, and the upstairs mansion is lovely. The exhibits aren't as extensive as they were a decade or so ago (my last visit). I really miss a lot of the "questionable medical devices" and history of medical devices that used to be there. They've been replaced with a goodly quantity of high-quality STEM-type interactive displays. Which gets to the main point of this review. While the old museum was more adult oriented, this one is definitely skewed to the 10-15 year old set. Mind you, this isn't a bad thing. There are some more adult oriented bits such as the static electricity/Leiden room. It's just that it could be so much more. Another high point is the garden. It's beautiful and the plants are well labeled. Then there's the whole Mary Shelley / Frankenstein area. It's neat, it's well done, and it really does make a great feminist statement. There's a BIG room all devoted to a re-enactment of some of the scenes from Frankenstein. Is it science? Uh, no. Is it entertaining? For a while. Could the space have been utilized for more science-oriented (as in REAL science) exhibits? Absolutely. Oh well... I'm just a curmudgeon, I guess. To reiterate, The Bakken is worth your visit so long as you're not expecting an expansive hard-core science experience. Free parking (woot!) makes it an easy visit. One visiting suggestion... I would recommend making sure you go at a time when it's not crowded with kids (as in School Tour!), because you would probably have a terrible time getting at the exhibits.

Recently, i had been through the museum, nice peice of architecture. It was actually the first time for me going inside and definitely under a different set of circumstances, in my past as grown up in the area, i entered the court yard from driveway area, daily, as i delivered the mlps star and tribune to the Cornelius family, that was in the early 70s. Brings back alot of memories. fun fun fun. I would like to know more about the Cornelius family and their Cork company along with all the previous home owners but no information was found when i searched Google. Do you know any indepth history information of the Bakken Museum prior 1975? would be helpful. Thankyou

A fashionable mansion that houses an eclectic museum. There is a great interest in Benjamin Franklin & his fascination with electricity. There are some hands on exhibits replicating earlier experiments in generating and the flow of electricity. There is an interesting exhibit centered around Mary Shelly and her monster Frankenstein which is also related to electricity. There exhibits demonstrating how modern day prosthesis work as well as keva art & architecture playing with art while experimenting with physics. Great place for kids. For adults are lovely gardens, a medicinal garden and of course a mansion to explore.

Website looked a bit dull. But actually had a great time. The building itself was my favorite, then displays, and finally the gardens. Took about 2 hours (but didn't do the extras). You will enjoy!

I went to the Bakken Museum recently with my precocious 11 year old grandson and he enjoyed it very much. There are lots of hands on scientific/engineering activities for kids and he seemed to enjoy all of them. There is also a very interesting exhibit on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. It provided a great deal of historical information on Mary Shelley and the early nineteenth century period in which she lived. You can also tour restored sections of the mansion which houses the museum. The Museum setting on the former Lake Calhoun (I can't remember how to spell its new name) is very attractive. The staff was young and helpful and seemed to be genuinely interested in interacting with the kids. All that said the Bakken Museum seems primarily for kids and I don't think most adults would find it of great interest. I would recommend it for kids but not so much if you are an unaccompanied adult.

I went with my husband on a mini date a few weeks ago and we were surprised by how much fun we had. It's definitely kid-friendly but has information and activities that will keep any person of any age entertained. We enjoyed each exhibit but there were a few parts that were closed due to the weather (the garden) or maintenance (electricity parts of Mary Shelley's). The cleaning doesn't seem as thorough for a lot of the shared objects and exhibits requiring touch, but they do have cleansing wipes all throughout. the layout was neato and our time there was very enjoyable and worth the price.

Extremely disappointing! We were excited to visit this museum during a recent trip to Minneapolis. The museum is billed as a collection of medical devices utilizing electricity for health care. Bakken was the inventor of the Pacemaker, so we had high expectations. The amount of "medical devices" would fit in a small bookcase; the museum has been transformed into a Children's museum with scavenger hunts and things to 'play with'. We never even saw a pacemaker. The museum may be good for children; but if you are interested in historical medical devices that utilized electricity, look elsewhere.

Beautiful building, well-designed exhibits, and just the right size not to exhaust you. The Bakken Museum tells the story of electricity throughout history, but it's also tied up with the story of Minneapolis and Medtronic. In the same spirit, the exhibits also carefully construct the historical context, answering questions such as, how did people understand electricity? Why did it hold their interest? The answers to these questions surprised me, and most likely they will surprise you too. The Bakken Museum masterfully shows that science is social. Yes, it's important to note who discovered or invented what. But with whom did they share their ideas, and what did those people do with them? When we went today, there was an exhibit on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and the society from which they emerged. Shelley did not invent any gadgets, but the exhibit showed how and why electricity caught her imagination. You can see simulations of electric shocks animating frog legs, for example. Today we don't think of Frankenstein as a product of the European Enlightenment, but the exhibit demonstrates this convincingly. Sadly her mother Mary Wollstonecraft did not live to influence her, but she rubbed elbows with eminent writers of her time, including her husband Percy Bysshe Shelley. The general displays show less-known ideas of how people used electricity. The ancient Greeks used the torpedo fish to deliver shocks for medical treatment. Modern Chinese acupuncture apparently has an electric device to find pressure points. In the upstairs area, you can experience the fun one can have at an electricity party from Ben Franklin's time. I had no idea static electricity could be so interesting. As I mentioned earlier, the building itself is worth a visit. We'll be back when it warms up to experience the gardens. At some point I wouldn't mind looking at the library. They have some fascinating illustrated premodern science books on display. It's a science museum with human stories, good even for folks who don't really get science.

So much fun to check out the Bakken on a quiet snowy MN afternoon! Lots of fun, interactive exhibitions. Hands on science, exploring electricity, physics, sound and medicine. Downstairs there is a neat Frankenstein exhibit that explores the science behind the story, info on Mary Shelley's life and an automated performance from her book. The Bakken is housed in a beautiful 1920's mansion with gothic architecture and wood carvings near Bde Maka Ska. Parking lot is free for visitors, friendly staff. Currently only 5 dollars because part of the museum is under construction. Definitely will check out in warmer months to see the medicinal gardens and new areas after construction.

A surpringly interesting museum especially for science nerds like our group who stopped here while visiting family. It is a beautiful mansion that hosts this electric & medical device themed exhibition. Lots of hands on fun and history. I did find the Frankenstein show a bit slow and dull. Otherwise highly recommended.

Cool and fun little museum. Took our 8-year-old and thoroughly enjoyed our 2 hours wandering around at the Bakken. The Ben Franklin Electric Party room was a lot of fun. The Frankenstein exhibit was bizarre and interesting. The museum itself is beautiful. $5/person. Well worth the price. Definitely better suited for older kids. Lots of reading signs and hands on exhibits.

A great little museum. Love the Frankenstein object theater and while it is a bit scary and long for my six year old I think it is perfect, and it clearly got her thinking about things as she had a lot of good questions afterward. The Mary Shelly performance piece is a MUST SEE if you can arrange it - I don't know how often it happens, but I chanced a viewing on a recent trip and it is excellent. The exhibits are great - hands on, engaging, and they have a sort of old school/classical design style that I find very appealing. The building is fantastic. An awesome museum.

Ideal for 8-12 year olds and other people interested in science. The Bakken is super cool...if you're actually old enough to pay attention. I'm afraid the number of small children here can sometimes dampen it for the slightly older kids. Parents of South Minneapolis, be proud that this is in your neighborhood, but go elsewhere until at least one of your rug rats is in kindergarten. There are some great camps and classes here and they host birthday parties too.

Big disappointment! What happened to all of the "history of medicine" artifacts that were on display a few years ago? Replaced with inane kiddy displays. Two stars for the beautiful museum and the Mary Shelley exhibit.

This is a pretty good place to go with kids. If you are also into electrifying electric museum. When I went the last time, I had fun playing the mind game, as well as learning about electricity and Medtronic. If you are looking fir somewhere to take your kids and family. This is the place to go.

Quite possibly the coolest museum. Great hands on exhibits for all ages. Love learning about electricity and playing. We only had an hour and half. Wish we would have had more time. Probably need 2.5 hours to do the exhibits justice.

This is a very well put-together science museum with an interesting slant. It grew out of the collection of the man who invented the implantable pacemaker. There are several interesting displays here, centered mostly on electronics and medicine. I left this for the end of my trip because I thought it might be kid-oriented, but I was compelled to go by someone who told me that it had plenty of content to hold an adult's interest (and he was right). I did do the Frankenstein exhibit, which takes about 10 minutes. It's not super-scary but be careful with younger kids. The content here is very interesting but you could do it all in a couple of hours, so don't plan a whole day around this one stop. Admission is very reasonable at $7 and the gift shop's prices are decent too. The Bakken has a private lot with free parking.

Attended a wonderful event at The Bakken, for their Evenings@theBakken series, called Science of Brewing. They had many local breweries for beer, coffee, and kombucha, plus some food and even a pop-up liquor shop - all in the upstairs area. It was a little crowded and luckily a very cool day or I'd imagine it gets very warm in the mansion-conversion. My favourite part was the medicine garden. Even with so many guests, it was such a peaceful place. The Frankenstein exhibit was really interesting and a few of the more interactive exhibits were a lot of fun. I'd definitely visit again during normal hours to explore a bit more - the beautiful mansion and gardens was worth the entrance fee alone.

Took Nic to the Second Free Saturday at Bakken today and we had a great time. It is a great place to bring kids and I had only been to The Bakken on field trips while working at an after school/summer program. But it's also a great place to go if you have nothing to do, want to explore, and it's rainy! Don't worry you won't get strange looks. The Bakken explores all sides of electricity from modern day uses around Minnesota to scary old medicinal designs including pacemakers from first design to present to Frankenstein. You will be electrified yourself! The only thing Nic and I wanted was to have a display focused on the future of electricity, especially in Minnesota since other displays offer so much insight to the past. I think it is worth going on a free day for sure, just check the website! Often there are extra activities on these days as well. There is free parking too, always a plus!

If you bike to the museum you can get a free admission. I brought my niece and nephew to the museum, they have interesting interactive displays. We enjoyed the Frankenstein show.

The one star is not for the museum itself but the staff, one in particular. Her name is Alex. She was not only rude but went out of her way of not being kind... if there is such a thing. Almost to the point of going out of her way of being spiteful. I was with a group of five other people, two of which were from Australia and one from Puerto Rico. We were in The Twin Cities on a business trip; we all are employed by the company that Bakken started. We thought it would be a good idea to take a tour however we were denied access because they were closing. I understand that however Alex's poor attitude and hateful manner was embarrassing to say the least since we had three international guest. I truly hope that someone from the Bakken museum reads this review and coaches Alex and other employees of treating guest properly.

This is a review of the staff since my husband and I didn't go into the museum just parked close enough to use the trails around the lake and our car got broken into, and since we were visiting from out of town, our luggage stolen (this did not happen on their grounds we just thought to ask if they had security cameras). One of their workers, Chris, got cardboard and tape and patched up our window himself so we could make the 4 hour drive home. He vacuumed the inside of the car and my kid's car seats, even offered us drinks! Everybody we ran into there was super nice and just small town, hard-working, good people, ready to lend a hand, wanting nothing in return! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

A great destination for families! Electricity, magnetism, health, & wellness... If your kids are competitive they will love Mindball!

Went to the Bakken as part of their 10 days with free admission on a date. There are many cool things to see here and they had some really neat things especially for the 10 days on the rooftop. Didn't see the Frankenstein show, but did do some really neat CSI stuff with microscopes, learned about Ben Franklin, and we each got an Eco-cardiogram of our heart rate. There are enough things to see and do for a few hours. I thought the gardens in the back were more my speed though. Just lounging around in the medicinal garden would have been very fun for us but it was much too hot outside. I liked the place but the reason I gave it only three stars is because when they remodeled, whoever designed the front portion completely butchered the place. The state/county should be ashamed at the poor design and messing up such a valuable part of Minnesota historical architecture.

It was wait for it...electrifying muwahahaha I just slay myself..ok ok legit though this place is grand. The building itself has such a neat grand history, and what it houses is really something. This place is such a gem nestled on the lakeside. The Frankenstein exhibit/ movie was really well done better than my expectations. I would visit again and again and again and never be bored.

I really loved this museum. Most of the rooms have at least one interactive component. I would recommend this experience to people of all ages. The theremin especially is a ton of fun.

Went here with my sons Boy Scout group and we really enjoyed it. It was fun to try all the different experiments and to scope out this magnificent house. Our tour guide was pretty awesome and very informative. They are volunteers and that is pretty awesome. I will be taking my boys back and going through a little more throughly.. It was hard with so many other little ones.

Top-notch. Lived in Minneapolis for years before trying this. A great mix for kids and adults.

Mark and I had a wonderful tour with museum curator Juliet Burba. What a unique gathering of things -- fascinating history of science, amazing architecture and beautiful gardens. A fun and unusual experience.

We went to this museum based on previous comments when we were just visiting the Cities. What a gem this place is. It's full of great info. Great for kids and grown ups. We became members when moved here. They also have classes for the kids. Love this place.