Phoenix Miller was at Northtown Mall in Blaine when she passed the Museum of Self and wondered what it was. The 12-year-old is now intimately acquainted with the store that bills itself as the Twin Cities premier selfie museum.
Miller has visited eight times since the store opened in June, filling her cellphone with pictures and videos taken in front of 30 whimsical background installations.
For Miller, the store allows her to take pictures with pizazz and post them to Instagram, TikTok and other social media platforms.
"It's better than taking them in my bedroom," said Miller, of Blaine. "It's a really cool place."
The latest social media phenomenon, selfie museums are popping up across the country. They've become popular with content creators looking for new ways to express themselves as well as everyone — from teenagers to octogenarians — who want to have fun in front of the camera, said owner Kimberly Holifield.
"They want to have a cute backdrop, and not everybody has that," Holifield said. "This is something different."
For $25 ($10 for under 12), you can have an hour to snap as many shots as possible in front of installations that include a wall featuring popular kids' cereals, an old-time phone booth and walls plastered with LPs and magazine covers. There's a Pac-Man wall, a money gun that shoots fake $100 bills and a 360-degree photo booth that allows guests to sing and dance while they record.
Phyllisha Butler, of St. Paul, is a self-described picture person who was looking for a place to take unique photos of her children, Lauryn, 1, and Ava Anthony, 2 months. The Museum of Self was just the ticket.
