Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota

Destination Sites

How to get there: 224 Lamm Street, Mankato, MN

What you will find: An interactive children’s museum

Services at this site: Yes

Devoted to exploration and play for all ages, the Children’s Museum is one of Southern Minnesota’s most immersive and hands-on museums. At its award-winning location near the Minnesota River in downtown Mankato, the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota features unique exhibits, art, and artifacts reflecting this diverse region. Experience exhibits, art, and hands-on activities inspired by members of the Dakota community and form a new understanding of and connection to Minnesota’s rich cultural heritage.

The Dakota term “mitakuye oyasin” can be understood as “we are all related” or “all my relations.” In this spirit, the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota brings forward a “ribbon” of Dakota experiences to its exhibits and facility with the goal that through these experiences, visitors engage with Dakota culture and stories that are present amongst the people, culture, and landscape of Minnesota. Art, language activities, and immersive environments inspired by members of the Dakota community engage visitors with enriching hands-on experiences to form new understanding of and connection to Minnesota’s rich cultural heritage.

Things to Do: Destination Site, Museum