Learn About Flour at the Mill City Museum in Minneapolis

Did you know that Minneapolis is home to what was once the world’s largest flour mill? This historic mill now houses the Mill City Museum, which is an engaging, interactive museum with something for all ages. During our visit, there were a few classes on a field trip, and the kids were loving all the interactive exhibits. They may not have even realized they were learning while they were playing with water tables, designing an ad or riding in a large freight elevator.

With so many interactive exhibits, the Mill City Museum is a great place to take the kids. My teenage son found it interesting, but felt younger kids would enjoy it more than he did.

Here’s a rundown on what you can expect at the Mill City Museum in Minneapolis.

Tickets and Directions to the Mill City Museum

Tickets can be purchased online in advance of your visit. There are no timed entry tickets, but you do need to pick the date of your visit. Note that the museum is closed on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The Mill City Museum is open on Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Ticket prices range from $8 to $12. Adults tickets are $12. Seniors, veterans, active military and college students cost $10, while children (ages 5-17) are $8. Any children under 5 are free.

RELATED POST: Ride the Roller Coasters and more at Nickelodeon Universe inside Mall of America

The Mill City Museum is in downtown Minneapolis, on the west bank of the Mississippi River. You’ll want to look for the Gold Medal Flour sign, as the museum is right next to it.

There is no museum-specific parking garage, so you’ll need to be prepared to use a parking garage (fees vary) or a parking meter (limit, two hours). There is a light rail station a few blocks away, or you can catch an UBER/Lyft to get to and from the museum.

Ride the Flower Tower Elevator to the Observation Deck

The most iconic and unusual activity at the Mill City Museum is the Flour Tower elevator ride. If you purchase your tickets online in advance of your visit, don’t worry about selecting a time for your elevator ride. You’ll be able to select a ride time when you check in at the front desk of the museum. While it’s not at all like the Tower of Terror is Disneyland (no sudden drops), it’s still an interesting activity.

After loading into the freight elevator, you’ll be taken up and down to various levels of the tower. Each level shares a different element of life in a flour mill. As you can see from the photo above, there are artifacts that help you feel like you’re in the mill, and video screens or projections that tell a story.

When your tour is complete, follow the guide from the freight elevator to the doors leading to the observation deck. Once outside, you’ll have a fabulous view of the Mississippi River and St. Anthony Falls. You’ll also see the iconic stone arch bridge stretching over the river, providing access to either side of the river. Don’t miss your change to capture a photo of you and your group with the Gold Medal Flour sign overhead.

After taking in the views, you can ride a smaller (non-freight) elevator back to the main floor to continue exploring the exhibits at the Mill City Museum.

Watch a Short Film: Minneapolis in 19 Minutes Flat

Do you know the history of Minneapolis? What made it such a great place to settle? Take a few minutes out of your visit to watch Minneapolis in 19 minutes Flat in the theater on the lower level. The humorous video features Kevin Kling and walks you through the 400 years of the city’s history.

The film does a great job of keeping your attention and guiding you through the years with stories, animations, vintage photographs and a lot of laughs. You’ll also learn about some of the key players in the city, ranging from the early settlers to the more modern Minneapolis-born natives.

RELATED POST: Visit the Somali Museum of Minnesota

Find out when the showtimes are when you arrive, then make sure you’re at the theater a few minutes before it starts so you can snag a seat.

Engage in Interactive Exhibits Throughout the Museum

One of the things that makes this museum so educational and fun are the interactive exhibits. My son enjoyed testing his strength to see if he could seal up a tube with his hand. As the water pressure builds, will he be able to keep it from leaking? He did a decent job, but after a while, the pressure gets pretty challenging to hold back. Especially for kids with smaller hands.

Other exhibits include a few large water tables, which allow kids to learn about ways the powerful river was put to use. For example, you can use wooden barriers to divert water around the waterfall and into electric turbines or water wheels. Those turbines are used to generate electricity or turn grinders in the flour mills to grind grain.

The Mississippi River was also used to transport logs for building. Can you direct the right colored logs to the appropriate cabin along the river? Water tables are a fun way for kids to learn about the rivers and the role they play in powering a city’s economy.

Another area of the museum helps visitors understand the transportation of the grain from the fields to the mills, and then from the mills to the markets. The Mill City Museum is educational, but the kids will likely just enjoy playing with the exhibits – including opportunities to set the dinner table, design an ad for Bisquick or Wheaties cereal and much more.

Test Your Skills in the Mill City Museum Baking Lab

My daughter – who loves to bake – would’ve loved exploring and even working in this exhibit area. The Mill City Museum Baking Lab is a throwback to the test kitchens of the day. It’s in these test kitchens that companies like Pillsbury would test their recipes.

The test kitchen at the Mill City Musuem offers various demonstrations and even some yummy samples. During our visit, we tried our hand at grinding grain into flour. Depending on how fine of a powder you wanted the flour, you would keep putting the grains through the grinder. This is one of many types of exhibits they have setup in the Baking Lab.

RELATED POST: Engage in the wonders of the Bakken Museum in Minneapolis

So while you’re exploring all the hands-on, interactive exhibits in the museum, keep an eye out for fun activities in the Baking Lab. Find the daily schedule posted near its entrance so you can plan on when you want to step inside the test kitchen.

The Details

Address: 704 South 2nd St., Minneapolis, MN 55401

How long to spend: About 1-2 hours.

Cost: Adults are $12. Seniors, veterans, active military and college students are $10. Children (ages 5-17) are $8, while children under 5 are free.

Hours: Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Website: https://www.mnhs.org/millcity

Phone: (612) 341-7555

DISCLOSURE: I received two complimentary admission tickets to The Mil City Museum, in partnership with Meet Minneapolis, for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

PIN THIS