The Somali Museum — Attraction in Minneapolis

The arrival of the Somali Museum of Minnesota is something long overdue to the metropolitan area. Naturally, this has added to the multicultural richness of the Twin Cities. There are two key exhibits missing from the collection of the museum: the first should focus on documenting a visual history of the Somali Diaspora in Minnesota. Such an exhibit can be initiated by depicting images from the first families arriving in Minnesota from the early-1990s to the present. The same exhibit can also recognize key members of the diaspora that have contributed to the cultural & intellectual enrichment of the Twin Cities while avoiding political themes & topics.

Secondly, the museum should have an exhibit on Somali Bantus detailing their history & how their ethnic identity forms part of an integral whole of Somali culture overall. Perhaps the Somali Museum of Minnesota can also work toward hosting a permanent diplomatic mission from Somalia specializing in diasporic affairs? Considering the Twin Cities hosts the largest Somali Diasporic Community in North America, the Somali Museum of Minnesota seems like a logical place to host an official Somali diplomatic mission outside Washington D.C.

Finally, the museum should also consider introducing a library featuring Somali literature & transcribed oral poetry with a separate area dedicated to transliterating books from English into Somali for purposes of developing a shared intellectual perspective between...

Small but powerful. The best part? The staff was amazing. So incredibly kind, friendly and fun! Don’t be turned off from the size of the museum by the way. We spent about an hour there and we could have easily spent much more time! There is so much information and the tour was excellent and well explained. I appreciated how things were explained, we were invited to ask questions and then given a couple minutes to look around and read more information before we moved on to another section of the museum. The worst part? I wish we would have stayed longer!! It was just lovely. They also have a small gift shop in what I think is the office area. It’s very easy to miss and it’s all in one display case so it’s small but I went home with a book written by the founder of the museum that explains the artifacts even more. It was $20 and worth every penny! I am learning Somali so seeing part of the book written in that language was exciting. I think they need to move the display where people can see it though, otherwise you’ll miss out on some neat items. I also wish the museum was easier to find so more people would know it exists, maybe a bigger sign outside so they know it’s in a basement. Either way, I’ll be stopping by again for sure and our visiting friend from London had a great time...

Founders did wonderful job. If you want to know something about Somali culture, here is great place to experience. I met Mohamed who’s a volunteer as Visitor Experience Representative. He is absolutely great mentor. And give us highest welcoming. The only thing I want let know the administration of the museum. The Somalis have same culture and some religion but they live different countries. So if the name of this museum is “Somali museum” the museum must Represents all Somalis people. The map and flag that I have seen there is the Somalia’s only. And Somali people from five different regions. Somalia, NFD Kenya, Somali Galbeed(Currently Somali Ethiopia), British Somaliland(Current self Declared Republic of Somaliland) and French...