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
Come Play!
ADMISSION: $9/PERSON, AGES 1+
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 only $9 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.
now open!
Now Open!
the children's museum's biggest exhibit ever
UPCOMING EVENTS
Dairy Barn – Cow Care
Butterfly House Guided Tours
Pollinators
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.
Think
Young minds need challenges and experiences to grow!
Discover
The Museum environment captivates children with a wide variety of interactive exhibits.
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
The Benefits of Animals for Children’s Development
Most people have a memory of a favorite pet from childhood. If they didn’t have one of their own, they might conjure up thoughts of a grandparent’s, neighbor’s, or friend’s pet they loved at some point in their lives. We think of how cute they are when we look at them, how soft they might
Butterfly House Pollinator Exhibit to Open June 21
The Butterfly House at the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota is opening for the season on Tuesday, June 21, 2022. The timing couldn’t be better – it coincides with National Pollinator Week! History of the Butterfly House CMSM has long supported Monarch butterflies in outdoor spaces, particularly the Prairie’s Edge Exploration Area. It was all
Playing with Art: Process Over Product
What is Process Art? I am Rachel Gemlo, a Program Facilitator here at the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota. My background is in early childhood education and studio arts. I recently gave a presentation on process art at the FACS to the Max conference at Minnesota State University, Mankato. While preparing my presentation, I discovered