MUSEUMS

Gibbs Farm Museum
2097 W Larpenteur Ave, Falcon Heights (651) 646-8629 Costumed interpreters tell the Gibbs family story from 1835 to 1940. Tour includes farmhouse, one-room schoolhouse, gardens, barn and farm animals. Special events every weekend. Open May 1-October 29. Hours: Tue-Fri, 10 am to 4 pm, Sat-Sun noon to 4 pm. Admission: adults, $5; seniors, $4; children 2-16, $3.

Historic Murphy's Landing
2187 E HWY 101, Shakopee (612) 445-0181 A living history museum dating from the 1840's to 1890's. Located on 88 acres along 1 1/2 miles of the scenic minnesota River Valley. Hours: Tue-Sat, 10 am to 5 pm, Sun noon to 5 pm. Admission: adults, $8.50; seniors, and children, $7.

Minneapolis Institute of Arts
2400 Third Ave South, Minneapolis (612) 870-3174
A cultural highlight of the Twin Cities, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts is internationally renowned as one of the great American museums. The museum houses a world-class collection of nearly 100,000 objects, representing artistic traditions that span 5,000 years.

Minnesota Air Guard Museum
Minneapolis/Saint Paul International Airport, Air National Guard Base 55111-0598 (651) 713-2523 Aircraft, photographs and artifacts tell the history of the Minnesota Air National Guard. An A-12 Blackbird, top-secret spy plane of the Cold War era, is the special attraction. Hours: Weekends mid-April through mid-September, second Sat every month; October through March, 11 am to 4 pm. Tours by appointment.

Minnesota Children's Museum
7th St between St. Peter & Wabasha in downtown Saint Paul; (651) 225-6000 At Minnesota Children's Museum, kids can touch, climb, splash, push, pull and press it all! Children ages 6 months through 10 years and their adult guests can burrow through a giant anthill, take the stage in a TV and music studio, create their own thunderstorm, operate a crane and much more! Open Tue, Wed, Fri-Sun, 9 am to 5 pm; Thurs, 9am to 8 pm; Open Mon during summer, 9 am to 5 pm. Downtown.

Minnesota History Center
345 Kellogg Blvd W, Saint Paul (651) 296-6126 or (800) 657-3773 An architectural gem overlooking Saint Paul, the Minnesota History Center is a great place for a fun outing. Explore lively exhibits from "Minnesota A to Z," see a Soo Line boxcar and a dress made entirely out of butter cartons. View the multimedia presentation "Home Place, Minnesota" and meet characters from Minnesota's past. Enjoy the two museum stores and the acclaimed Cafe Minnesota which serves lunch and Sunday brunch. Hours: Tue, Wed, Fri and Sat, 10 am to 5 pm; Thu, 10 am to 9 pm; Sun, noon to 5 pm (Open Mon on holidays and in July and August). Downtown.

Minnesota Museum of American Art
Landmark Center, 75 W 5th St, Saint Paul (651) 292-4355 Located in Landmark Center near The Saint Paul Hotel. Twentieth century American Art. Permanent collection on view continuously. Special exhibitions throughout the year, call for details. Hours: Tue-Sat, 11 am to 4 pm; Thu, 11 am to 7:30 pm; Sun, 1 pm to 5 pm. Closed Mon and major holidays. Admission is free for most programs. Downtown.

Minnesota Transportation Museum
193 E. Pennsylvania Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55101
The Minnesota Transportation Museum was incorporated in 1863 and currently operates (through volunteer support and efforts) the following venues: Jackson Street Roundhouse in Saint Paul, Como Harriet Streetcar line in Minneapolis, The Steamboat Minnehaha and streetcar line in Excelsior, Osceol and St. Croix Valley Railway.

Science Museum of Minnesota and William L. McKnight/3M Omnitheater
120 West Kellogg, Saint Paul (651) 221-9444
The Science Museum of Minnesota, one of the state�s oldest and best-known cultural institutions, ushers in a new era of hands-on, fun, science education by unveiling a unique combination of cutting-edge technology, high-tech entertainment and a world-class collection of fossils and artifacts spanning billions of years of the earth�s history. Hours: Mon-Wed 9:30 am to 5 pm, Thu-Sat 9:30 am to 9 pm, Sun 10:30 am to 7 pm; Summer hours open until 9 pm Mon-Sat. Exhibit admission: adults, $7; seniors 65+ and juniors 4-12, $5. Omnitheater/exhibit admission: adults, $11; seniors and juniors, $8. 3D Laser Show/exhibit admission: adults, $9; seniors and juniors, $7. Exhibits/Omnitheater/3D Laser Show admission: adults, $12.50, seniors and juniors, $9.50 Downtown.

Twin City Model Railroad Museum
1021 Bandana Blvd E, Saint Paul (651) 647-9628 Located at Bandana Square. Operating 3,400 square feet of trains and Twin City scenes carefully reproduced in miniature. Hours: Mon­Fri 10 am to 8 pm, Sat 10 am to 6 pm; Sun, noon to 5 pm. Full operations Sat­Sun. Admission $150 Children under 4 FREE.