Bell Museum — Attraction in Falcon Heights

This review is geared towards those who might want to rent the Bell Museum to host a special event, such as a wedding. In short, I highly recommend that you do it! I am writing this just a few days after the wedding of our son to our new daughter-in-law, and I am still filled with post wedding happiness, along with gratefulness due to the wonderful staff from the museum, as well as from Crave, the caterer. I wish I could remember all their names because everyone treated us so well, including the bartender and all the wait staff, so for now I will call out the one name I recall, Laura, the Facility Rental Manager. Laura, please convey my thanks to everyone that was there--you all performed together expertly, with grace and great attitudes! Beyond the people, the choice of the Bell Museum as a venue for this special event, well, I couldn't be more pleased. And ALL the guests agreed--I heard over and over how much they enjoyed their time with us there, including being in the planetarium for the beautiful wedding ceremony, socializing and visiting the exhibits during the social hour, and the dinner and dancing on the main floor. The setting was just awesome. The lights across the atrium were so pretty after it got dark, the beautiful native gardens outside were perfect for pictures, and we even incorporated a few of the outdoor statues into our photos. The bathrooms were clean and well stocked, and the use of the classroom as a prep area worked perfectly for all of us. The people running the AV equipment did great. Every question and concern was answered and you took such good care of us. I can't think of a single negative. In sum, THANK YOU for such a...

Not worth the price of admission at all. There are much better museums in Minnesota and across the world that deliver more solid science and fun while still costing less for admission. It cost me $5 just to park in the lot and there isn't really anywhere else you can park.....so you are trapped into spending at least $5 right away before you even get inside the bell museum.....once you are able to enter (after spending 7-12 more dollars for admission) the exhibits and planetarium are hugely overrated. The dioramas were all stuffed animals that don't move and the planetarium was quite boring. The planetarium presenter seemed to kind of hate his job and was rude to people asking questions. The touch and see room where you do actually get to see live animals was very limited and small (maybe entertaining enough for very young children). The bell is an alright museum to check out, but if I'm going to spend $12-17 per person, than I expect to get a truly solid scientific experience. You can go to both Como Planetarium for a planetarium show ($5 admission) and The Bakken Museum for a museum journey ($10 admission) for still less money than attending the bell museum and I guarantee these two places will blow you away! Overall, the new bell museum just did not really deliver. I think the old bell museum on the UMN campus had a way better feel with the jungle and classic set-up/layout. Hopefully the new bell will grow into a more relaxed and fun museum, but until then, I'd say just avoid it and save your money for better...

The new Bell is truely a gem of a natural history museum. Many of the original dioramas have been beautifully restored and displayed to stunning effect, and items from their collections are showcased throughout. This small museum is big on wonder, curiosity, and impact for children and adults alike. The curators know that the core of this place is a gorgeous traditional collection, and have taken care to honor that. Displays are arranged to highlight vital connections and inspire reflection, rather than to tell a limited, linear "story" through canned explanations and hokey "effects." The facility's intimate size is an advantage here as you make your way through the galleries on the upper level.

The hands-on room on the first level is one of the best I've experienced, with replicas specimens, and even live animals. There is also a substantive exhibit about food on this level, which was a surprise. There is, of course, the planetarium as well.

In my opinion, this is one of the finest museums in the Twin Cities, and actually far outshines the larger, but uninspired and uninspiring, Science Museum of Minnesota. The Bell transported me back to the wonder and awe of the natural world I felt as a child, without ever once underestimating the sophistication or nuance of its adult audience. Well worth the modest price...