The Science Museum of Minnesota in Saint Paul is a century-old institution housed in an ultramodern building, whose 2,000 staff and volunteers are dedicated to “turning on the science”. Its dazzling collection of permanent exhibits covers the physical sciences, technology, palaeontology, the human body and the ever-unwinding story of the people of the Mississippi River. It is also one of the pioneering museums for using big-impact cinematic presentations, and hosts a dual-purpose IMAX/Omnitheatre cinema with the biggest permanent electronic cinema projector in the world.
Making the most of its location on the bank of the Mississippi, the Science Museum of Minnesota is entered at street level, away from the river. This actually puts you on the top floor. As you descend towards it, the river is unfolded as a backdrop to many of the museum's halls. The Museum also has an outdoor section, which runs alongside the Mississippi, called the Big Back Yard. It provides some very practical lessons on the science of erosion, pollution and water movement.
Inside, the first exhibit you'll come across is, in fact, all about “The Big River”. You can learn about the peoples, culture, animals and plants of the Mississippi, North America's longest river, which has its source in the state at Lake Itasca. There's also a Human Body Gallery, which puts you deep inside the inner workings of our bodies, and let's you conduct experiments with DNA.
Perhaps the most popular exhibit is the Dinosaurs & Fossils Gallery. The Science Museum is reckoned to have one of the most comprehensive fossil collections in the world, and has done especially well with its full dinosaur skeletons. There is a 24-metre-long Diplodocus, discovered by Minnesota students, an interactive pair of Tyrannosaurus jaws, a spiky-plated Stegosaurus and the most complete Triceratops ever found.
The dinosaurs aren't the only stars, however. You can go on a voyage of discovery around the science behind weather, electricity and light, with exciting interactive displays designed to evoke that “penny drop” moment – a sound the museum hopes you'll be familiar with by the time you leave.
