After unexpected delay, splashier Children's Museum will reopen next month

The Minnesota Children's Museum, beset by an unexpected delay in its $30 million renovation, finally has a firm date for its delayed reopening.

The public can access the museum June 2-6 for a reservation-only sneak peek before a grand reopening June 7.

A free-admission day and block party follow on June 17.

The museum, which had been closed since December and is now 35 percent larger, also announced an increase in ticket prices: General admission tickets jumped $3 to $12.95; annual membership plans range from $129 to $189 up from previous plans, which started at $99.

The museum, on W. 7th Street in St. Paul, had targeted April to unveil 10 new exhibits, a rooftop terrace, outdoor space, a new cafe and store. However, the vendor fabricating a four-story climbing tower went out of business.

The delay in debuting the museum's first significant makeover since 1995, when it moved to its current home, allowed officials to find a new company to piece together the Scramble, a spiral slide and a netted catwalk suspended more than 40 feet above the floor.

The new exhibits were designed with older children in mind, museum officials said. For example, the Studio was designed to appeal to children up to 12, where they can tinker with real tools and related materials.

Along with the more entertaining upgrades, the refurbished museum will have an additional elevator, an improved box office, additional room for parking strollers, more bathrooms and a new skyway-level entrance.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482