Minneapolis Field Trips Guide

Field Trip Categories In And Around Minneapolis

Science, STEM, And Discovery

Science Museum of Minnesota
A Minneapolis-based trip to the Science Museum of Minnesota crosses into downtown St. Paul, where the museum overlooks the Mississippi River. Permanent experiences include dinosaurs and fossils, human biology, physical-science demonstrations and the Omnitheater's giant dome, while the Mississippi River setting supports environmental themes. The institution's roots reach to 1907, and its current riverfront building opened in 1999. Elementary and middle-school students are the strongest audience for hands-on exhibits; high-school groups can make good use of paleontology, engineering and visiting exhibitions. Because this is an extension rather than a Minneapolis attraction, teachers should account for cross-city transportation and choose it when the science content justifies the extra logistics. Timed Omnitheater shows and special exhibitions often require separate reservations. A useful assignment compares the museum's river exhibits with the actual Mississippi visible outside, turning the building's location into evidence rather than background scenery.
Street Address: 120 W Kellogg Blvd, Saint Paul, MN 55102
Web Address: https://new.smm.org/

Museums, Tours, And Local Landmarks

Mill City Museum
Mill City Museum occupies the ruins of the Washburn A Mill, once part of the world's largest flour-milling complex, directly beside St. Anthony Falls. The Flour Tower multimedia elevator show moves visitors through recreated mill floors while explaining how waterpower, railroads and grain turned Minneapolis into the 'Flour Milling Capital of the World.' Baking demonstrations and machinery displays connect industrial history to an everyday product students know. The original mill opened in the nineteenth century, suffered a deadly explosion in 1878 and was rebuilt; a later fire left the ruins incorporated into today's museum, which opened in 2003. Upper elementary through high school is ideal for industrialization, immigration, engineering and food systems. Families should reach the observation deck if open to see the river and falls that powered the industry. School groups can compare the physical ruins with historic photographs and ask why milling clustered at this exact site.
Street Address: 704 S 2nd St, Minneapolis, MN 55401
Web Address: https://www.mnhs.org/millcity

Bell Museum
The Bell Museum combines Minnesota natural history with a modern planetarium on the University of Minnesota's St. Paul campus. Its signature wildlife dioramas originated with artist and naturalist Francis Lee Jaques and preserve an older but highly detailed style of habitat interpretation, while newer galleries add hands-on science and living specimens. The Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan Planetarium expands the trip into astronomy. The museum traces its roots to the state's natural-history collections in the nineteenth century and moved to its current building in 2018. Elementary through middle school is the sweet spot, though high-school classes can examine ecology, climate and scientific collecting. Families should compare a historic diorama with current outdoor habitat and ask what the display gets right or leaves out. Because the Bell is in St. Paul rather than Minneapolis proper, transportation should be planned explicitly, and planetarium seats should be reserved for school groups.
Street Address: 2088 Larpenteur Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55113
Web Address: https://www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/

Arts, Culture, And Performance

Minneapolis Institute of Art
The Minneapolis Institute of Art, commonly called Mia, offers free general admission to a collection spanning about 5,000 years and cultures around the world. Students can move from ancient Egyptian objects to Asian art, European painting, African art, Indigenous works and contemporary galleries without needing a single survey narrative. The museum opened its Beaux-Arts building in 1915 and has expanded several times. Period rooms are particularly useful for younger visitors because furniture, decorative arts and architecture create an environment rather than an isolated object. Upper elementary through high school can compare materials, belief systems and artistic choices; families can use short themed routes instead of attempting hundreds of galleries. School groups should reserve guided visits when available, especially for culturally sensitive collections. Because admission is free, teachers can plan a focused 90-minute study without feeling pressure to 'get their money's worth.' Current gallery closures or rotations should be checked before assigning specific works.
Street Address: 2400 3rd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55404
Web Address: https://new.artsmia.org/

Guthrie Theater tours
A Guthrie Theater tour reveals the machinery behind live drama inside one of Minneapolis' most distinctive modern buildings. The current Jean Nouvel-designed theater opened on the Mississippi riverfront in 2006 and contains multiple performance spaces, production shops and the cantilevered Endless Bridge overlooking the river and old mill district. Depending on tour access, students may learn about scenery, costumes, lighting, rehearsal and how a thrust stage changes actor-audience relationships. Middle and high school theater, literature and technical-arts groups are the strongest fit; younger students may benefit more from a student matinee than an architecture-heavy tour. The Guthrie itself was founded in 1963 by director Tyrone Guthrie and collaborators seeking an alternative to Broadway's commercial model. Tour routes and backstage access change around rehearsals and performances, so teachers must book the exact student or group offering. Pairing a tour with a play creates the clearest connection between production work and finished performance.
Street Address: 818 S 2nd St, Minneapolis, MN 55415
Web Address: https://www.guthrietheater.org/

Return to the Teachtopia Field Trip Finder to browse more city guides.