Wondering where to take your small fry to experience STEM fun through hands-on science? We offer six ideas of places that offer education programs for a wide range of ages, many of them ongoing. Plus we keep track of fun STEM events in Minnesota and at-home fun here!
Upcoming STEM Events in the Twin Cities
Works Museum Thursday
Date(s): 06/11/2026 10:00 am - 4:00 pmLocation: The Works Museum, 9740 Grand Ave South, Bloomington, MN, 55402
During the summer, The Works Museum is open Thursdays & Fridays from 10am-4pm to enrich the school break!
Works Museum Friday
Date(s): 06/12/2026 10:00 am - 4:00 pmLocation: The Works Museum, 9740 Grand Ave South, Bloomington, MN, 55402
During the summer, The Works Museum is open Thursdays & Fridays from 10am-4pm to enrich the school break!
George Latimer Library Fun Lab (FREE)
Date(s): 06/12/2026 3:30 pm - 4:30 pmLocation: George Latimer Central Library, 90 West 4th Street, Saint Paul, MN , 55102
Need something engaging for kids to do this summer? Drop in to George Latimer Central Library to craft, make stuff, do science experiments, engineer, play games and more. This program is designed for kids ages 7-11.
S.T.E.A.M. Saturdays: Broadcasting Day
Date(s): 06/27/2026 11:00 am - 3:00 pmLocation: Pavek Museum of Broadcasting, 3517 Raleigh Ave, St. Louis Park, MN, 55416
Explore Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math at the Pavek Museum’s S.T.E.A.M Saturday events. Each event will be a day of exploration and discovery into a different exciting S.T.E.A.M. topic. Included with admission. FREE entry for students under age 18 and teachers with school ID. Adults $12; Military $7.
Eastman: Universe in the Park (FREE)
Date(s): 07/18/2026 8:30 pm - 10:00 pmLocation: Eastman Nature Center, 13351 Elm Creek Rd, Maple Grove, MN, 55369
Universe in the Park events are held in various parks on Friday and Saturday nights throughout the summer. The program starts with a 20-30 minute slide show presentation at 8:45 p.m. and, weather permitting, an opportunity to to get a closer look the solar system through 8-inch reflecting telescopes until 10 or 11 pm. Attendees can learn how to use a star map and go home with a free one.
- Saturday July 18, 2026 – Eastman Nature Center
- Friday August 14, 2026 – Eastman Nature Center
Afton Park: Universe in the Park (FREE)
Date(s): 07/24/2026 8:30 pm - 10:00 pmLocation: Afton State Park, 6959 Peller Ave S, Hastings, MN, 55033
Universe in the Park events are held in various parks on Friday and Saturday nights throughout the summer. The program starts with a 20-30 minute slide show presentation at 8:45 p.m. and, weather permitting, an opportunity to to get a closer look the solar system through 8-inch reflecting telescopes until 10 or 11 pm. Attendees can learn how to use a star map and go home with a free one.
Bell Museum Star Party (FREE)
Date(s): 07/24/2026 9:30 pm - 11:00 pmLocation: Bell Museum of Natural History, 2088 Larpenteur Ave W, Saint Paul, MN , 55113
Explore the night sky with the aid of professionals and a fascinating telescope on the museum’s outdoor observation deck (if sky conditions permit). Plus, these special monthly events offer FREE planetarium shows and hands-on indoor exhibits. The program is recommended for families with kids ages 7+ due to both the nature of the activities and the evening start time. Registration is not required but is requested through EventBrite. This helps the museum plan for the number of people. Drop in anytime during the event.
Note that the museum exhibits are not open during these FREE Star Parties. Parking in the lot is $6/vehicle.
FREE Planetarium tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis at the front desk. Registering does not reserve tickets, so it is best to show up early. Showtimes: 9:40, 10:10, 10:40pm.
Shepard Farm: Universe in the Park (FREE)
Date(s): 07/31/2026 8:30 pm - 10:00 pmLocation: Shepard Farm, 8946 70th Street S, Cottage Grove, MN , 55016
Universe in the Park events are held in various parks on Friday and Saturday nights throughout the summer. The program starts with a 20-30 minute slide show presentation at 8:45 p.m. and, weather permitting, an opportunity to to get a closer look the solar system through 8-inch reflecting telescopes until 10 or 11 pm. Attendees can learn how to use a star map and go home with a free one.
Dodge Nature Center: Universe in the Park (FREE)
Date(s): 08/07/2026 8:30 pm - 10:00 pmLocation: Dodge Nature Center, 365 Marie Ave, West St Paul, MN , 55118
Universe in the Park events are held in various parks on Friday and Saturday nights throughout the summer. The program starts with a 20-30 minute slide show presentation at 8:45 p.m. and, weather permitting, an opportunity to to get a closer look the solar system through 8-inch reflecting telescopes until 10 or 11 pm. Attendees can learn how to use a star map and go home with a free one.
Heritage Library STEM Saturday (FREE)
Date(s): 09/05/2026 10:00 am - 10:45 amLocation: Heritage Library, 20085 Heritage Drive, Lakeville, MN, 55044
One Saturday a month, September-May, STEM takes center stage at the Lakeville Heritage Library. Kids ages 5-10 are invited to participate in hands-on activities related to science and engineering. Free, but registration is required as space is limited – see link.
6 Places for Anytime Hands-on Science with Kids
1. Gabbert Raptor Center Tours
Address: 1920 Fitch Ave, St Paul, MN 55108
When: Tuesdays through Sundays. Book at Tour Here.
Cost: $3/kids & $5/adults
Details: Bring kids of any age for a fun and educational visit to the University of Minnesota’s Raptor Center. Check out their remodeled raptor habitats, and get up close to bald eagles, kestrels, owls and falcons. The tours are about 45 minutes in length. The Raptor Center treats about 800 injured birds a year with the goal of releasing them back to the wild. Read more about taking kids to the Raptor Center here.
Gabbert Raptor Center
2. Bakken Museum
Address: 3537 Zenith Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55416
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 10am-5pm
Cost: Age 18-61: $14; Students w/ ID: $11; Age 4-17: $10; Age 3 & under: Free; Limited Income: $1. Find Tickets Here.
Details:Â Whether you go on your own schedule or for a special program, The Bakken always has hands-on science fun to explore. Read more about it here.
Learning About Electricity at Bakken Museum
3. The Works Museum
Address: 9740 Grand Ave, Bloomington, MN 55420
When: Hours are seasonal. Find current hours and purchase tickets here.
Cost: $14/pp
Details: Dig into the guts of machines and electronics and figure out how those gadgets work! All kinds of fun, hands-on STEM exhibits for kids make this a great choice for an educational outing. Read more about the Works Museum here.
4. Science Museum of Minnesota
Address: 120 W. Kellogg Boulevard, Saint Paul, MN 55102
When:Â Sunday, Tuesday-Thursday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Cost: $34.95/adults, $24.95/children (additional for Omnitheatre; low income discount available). Reserve tickets here.
Details: Three stories of permanent and traveling science exhibits. Find find hands-on science activities to go with whatever you are studying. Look for Summer Camps and release day STEM Classes For Kids.
5. Kroening Interpretive Center
Address: 4900 Mississippi Court, Minneapolis, MN 55430
When: Monday-Friday: 9 am-4 pm; Saturday: 10 am-4 pm. MPRB offers nature activities and events. Search and register here.
Cost: Free (Some special activities have a fee)
Details: Explore on your own or in a special activity. Find this and more ideas for nature play here.
Find our Full List of Nature Centers Here: Twin Cities Nature Centers & Outdoor Centers
6. The Bell Museum of Natural History
Address: 2088 Larpenteur Avenue West, Saint Paul, MN 55113
When: Wednesday-Sunday 10am-4pm
Cost: Ages 21-64: $15; 65+: $13; 3-21 $12; Under 3: Free
Details: Families can catch a show in the popular planetarium, explore the natural history exhibits and participate in activities.
Annual STEM Fun Events to Look Forward to Most Years!
U of M College of Science & Engineering Outreach Events
- PHYSICS FORCE SHOW: Physicists demonstrate their science with crazy stunts. The shows are affordable family entertainment held at Northrop Auditorium. We found that the show is best geared toward grade school to early middle school, but the whole family enjoyed the hour. Reservations are required. Watch for annual shows in January.
- COOL CHEMISTRY For girls in grades 6-8 features interactive workshops, chemistry “tricks,” and new skills. Look for shows in May.
- PUBLIC LECTURES —College of Science and Engineering: For grades 9-12. Public lectures on scientific discoveries.
- PUBLIC ENERGY AND U Show:Â For grades 3-8. An interactive show incorporating explosions, flames, flying pop bottles, music, and dancing and teach thermodynamics, world energy use, and energy challenges. (usually January and May)
- PUBLIC TELESCOPE VIEWINGS All ages. Presentation followed by outdoor observing. (Fridays when school is in session)
- ROBOT SHOW:Â All ages. Public show featuring robots built by 200+ engineering students (usually December).
- UNIVERSE IN THE PARK: Weekends through the summer at parks around the state.
Signature Events at the Works Museum
The Works Museum has a couple large events a year, all of which feature hands-on activities and demonstrations to bring engineering and STEM to life in a uniquely kid-friendly way. These events are aimed at families with children ages 4-13.
Spring
• TECH FEST  • Featuring kid-friendly demos of emerging technology and activities led by scientists, engineers, and educators.
• ROBOT DAY • Learn about all things robotics
Fall
• SHE ENGINEERS • Encourages girls to dig deeper into science, technology, engineering and math.
Hands-On Science and STEM Fun At Home
- The Bell Museum’s Website is packed with STEM fun you can view at home – How to be a Citizen Scientist in your backyard, how to identify spring animal sounds, watch as they feed a baby box turtle, and more.
- Learn Natural Sciences by Getting Out Into Nature: 65+ Fun Nature Play Ideas for Kids
- Gianna has gathered some fun Science Activities for Kids.
- Check out one of the Kitchen Pantry Scientist books by Minnesota’s Liz Heinecke.
- The Minnesota Academy of Science’s Stem From Home page offers a variety of resources and experiments to try at home.
- MNDOT has STEM activities for K-12, including bridge building activities, games, geometry. This is a really fun site – who would have thought?
- We’ve recently found a few alternatives to those expensive subscription boxes that could keep a family happily occupied with STEM activities all year long!
- Ramsey County Library STEM Kits – Check Them Out & Bring Them Home! Two cool facts about Ramsey County Library: 1) Patrons can checkout STEM kits designed for families with children ages 3-7. They come in a variety of themes, including magnets, motion, buoyancy, length, weight, volume and capacity, shapes and colors, patterns, and counting and numbers, and can be borrowed for three weeks at a time and can be renewed if there are no requests. 2) Anyone in the 7-county metropolitan area can get a Ramsey County Library Card. Bring in a current picture ID. Kids need to have a parent’s current picture ID.
- Environmental Education Kits for your Home School Group! These kits are not available to individuals or those outside Hennepin County, but groups located in Hennepin County can borrow Education Kits, Supplies & Event Displays. If you belong to a home school group, PTA, club or scouting group, it appears your group could qualify. While these kits range from propaganda to demonstrations to hands-on activities, they discuss environmental topics such as recycling, water management and waste prevention. For individual families, this same site offers Curriculum Ideas and Activity Guides to print.
- 3M offers these (somewhat product-heavy) ideas for Creating a STEM-friendly home environment.Â
Find More STEM Fun Here