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Best Museum Exhibits This Spring In Minnesota

As the snow melts and Minnesotans find themselves craving an outing, museums often enter into the conversation. Exhibits offered at local museums range from informative to interactive and have become a delight for the entire family. Travel throughout Minnesota to find the best exhibits to visit this spring and create an adventure worth discussing year-round.

Dinosaurs: Land Of Fire And Ice
Minnesota Children's Museum
10 W. 7th. St.
St. Paul, MN 55102
(651) 225-6000
www.mcm.org

Date: Feb. 8, 2014 to May 26, 2014

The past land of the dinosaurs is broken down into three areas of interactive exploration this spring at the Children's Museum. Check out the land of fire, the land of ice and a replica of a real field exploration station when this traveling exhibit reaches St. Paul. Children can take pictures with dinosaurs, play in a dino habitat and learn about the importance of archaeology. Discover the talked-about exploding volcano at the center of this exhibit and cultivate an interest in the past.

The Bakken Gardens
The Bakken Museum
3537 Zenith Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55416
(612) 926-3878
www.thebakken.org

The Bakken Museum is a mansion and museum located along the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes. Aside from being a unique museum dedicated to the history and importance of electricity, it serves as a library and historic icon in the heart of Minnesota. The botanical gardens that surround the museum are best visited in the spring, when the planting begins and the greenery comes to life. There are four separate and spectacular gardens on the Bakken grounds including the Native Plant garden that caters to natural wildlife, the Medicinal Herb garden which is full of medicinal plants, the Green Energy garden that doubles as a sculpture and art garden and the Organic Vegetable garden which becomes more beautiful throughout the year.

Hopper Drawing: A Painter's Process
Walker Art Center
1750 Hennepin Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 375-7600
www.walkerart.org

Date: March 15, 2014 to June 22, 2014

Edward Hopper, an important American realist with a talent for oil painting, will be honored with an exhibition this spring at the Walker Art Center in downtown Minneapolis. His drawings have been known to capture images from the American life by incorporating emotion and truth into each piece. Hopper's exhibit contains pieces not viewed by the public in the past and hopes to increase appreciation for this talented realist. Hopper passed away in 1967 but his talent has not been forgotten.

Related: Best Museums In Minnesota


Ultimate Dinosaurs

Science Museum of Minnesota
120 W. Kellogg Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55102
(651) 221-9444
www.smm.org

Date: Starts March 1, 2014

Fill your spring with dinosaurs by visiting yet another dinosaur exhibit in Minnesota. The Ultimate Dinosaurs exhibit is also an interactive experience featuring fossils and artifacts from the dinosaurs of South America. Using technology to show how land masses changed and moved during the age of dinosaurs, the Science Museum demonstrates how these ancient creatures changed as well. A film that accompanies the exhibit will be shown in the Omnitheater to further enhance the dino experience.

Matisse: Masterworks From The Baltimore Museum Of Art
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
2400 3rd Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55404
(612) 870-3000
www.new.artsmia.org

Date: February 23, 2014 to May 18, 2014

The works of Henri Matisse, a very prolific artist from France who influenced many modern impressionists and artists, will be on display at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts this spring. Over 60 years of Henri Matisse's life were dedicated to creating important and relevant works of art, including oil paintings, sketches, sculptures and drafts. A large collection on loan from the Baltimore Museum of Art can be viewed this spring. It is a must-see for sure.

Related: 
Best Permanent Exhibits In Minnesota

Andrea Wodele is a freelance writer who has lived in the Twin Cities for eight years. She loves covering all things Minnesota and her work can be found on Examiner.com.

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