Our Mission:
Ignite the natural curiosity of every child through the power of play in a dynamic, awe-inspiring environment
PLAY. It's what we do.
MUSEUM HOURS
Daily Admission: $12/person
ADMISSION: $12/PERSON over 12 months
A membership to the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota includes unlimited access to the Museum’s galleries during regular business hours, special discounts in the Museum gift shop, and invitations to exclusive members-only events for less than $11 a month! The Museum offers a variety of membership packages to suit the needs of individuals, families, and groups.
Browse the Museum’s membership packages to find an option that works best for you. Contact Museum staff for further details.
CMSM is excited to announce the expansion of our Access for All program with a new initiative for families with newborns and infants! Gateway to Baby Play Memberships are available to families of newborns and first-time parents up to their child’s first birthday. This Membership includes free admission for two parents and their baby until their first birthday. To obtain a Gateway to Baby Play Museum Membership, simply fill out the application here and return to CMSM.
SING-A-THON OF CELEBRATED SONGS
View our video Book - may there always be...
Thank you to everyone who came to the Jim Gill sing-a-long last Saturday. It was wonderful to see so many friends dancing, singing and enjoying our very own video book. If you didn’t get a chance to see it, we hope you enjoy it! May there always be…
UPCOMING EVENTS
Art Explorers in Cecil’s Imagineering Loft
STEAM Fridays
Pollinator Programming
Monarch Larva Monitoring Program
STEAM Explorers
Baby Play
Art Explorers in Cecil’s Imagineering Loft
Young Explorers
Outdoor Explorers
Bookmobile
Exhibits
At the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota, each exhibit is intentionally designed as a robust educational resource that contributes to the well-being of children and the community. Our exhibits are created with an understanding of children’s development and based on local settings and landmarks with play potential for children, their parents, grandparents, caregivers, and teachers to explore, think, discover, learn, and enjoy.
Explore
Children learn best through hands-on play.
Discover
The Museum environment captivates children with a wide variety of interactive exhibits.
Think
Young minds need challenges and experiences to grow!
Learn
Exhibits are thoughtfully designed to spark curiosity and imagination.
Enjoy
Not only is play an incredible source of fun, but it is also crucial to children’s well-being.
Impact Stories
"A Place for Everyone"
“The Children’s Museum is a place where everyone can and be welcome and find some thing that they’re interested in. If you’ve never been here, I’d say get down here right away!”
"I can’t explain how grateful I am for the Children's Museum"
“I love that my kids can come to the Children’s Museum, be creative and imaginative and make friends in the process. We visit weekly and every time we leave each of my four kids has made a new friend.”
What people are saying about CMSM
THE LATEST FROM THE CMSM Blog
Summer Bucket List For Any Weather!
Summer is a time of adventure, exploration, and making lasting memories with your children. With the days longer and the weather warmer, it’s the perfect season to engage in fun-filled activities that cater to every age group and adapt to different weather conditions. In Southern Minnesota, we have all sorts of amazing things to see
Gardening with Kids
Common wisdom passed down generations says to wait until after the fishing opener here in Southern Minnesota to put your plants in the ground. We’re not completely out of the woods, necessarily–we have had snow in May–but it’s a fair assumption. The tulips and daffodils and other perennials have pushed through and brought color to
Appreciation for Caregivers All Year Long
The Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota is for children, right? Of course! But the work we do in our building and in the community extends to all members of a child’s family, no matter what that family looks like. As we approach the season of Mother’s and Father’s Day, it is important to acknowledge the