Ever restless and forward-looking, Minnesota's museums are always seeking new ways to entice audiences and inform visitors. In the past, some have opened their doors to bicycles, turned up the volume on technology and even thrown keg parties.
During May, the second annual Minnesota Museums Month, the fun continues with the launch of a new app designed to put all 500-plus of those museums at your fingertips. You can search for venues by theme or location, check off places you've visited, take photos and add them to your own customized museum page, or build an itinerary of venues you plan to see.
The Minnesota Museums App can be downloaded, free, from Apple's App Store or Google Play. Funded by Legacy Amendment tax dollars, it was developed by the Minnesota Association of Museums in partnership with the Minnesota Historical Society.
Many museums around the state are free all the time, but some that regularly charge admission are offering discounts or other amenities for at least one day this month. The Minnesota History Center, where adult tickets are normally $11, will welcome everyone free next Sunday, May 11.
Both the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Weisman Art Museum are regularly free, but on May 18 they will also throw in special programs and treats in honor of International Museum Day. So will Walker Art Center, which is waiving its $8-$12 admission fee that day. Walker and Weisman visitors also will get member-for-a-day privileges, which include discounts at their gift shops and the Walker's restaurants.
The institute is also offering free admission May 18 to its special exhibition, "More Real? Art in the Age of Truthiness,"which normally costs $12-$14. But there is a catch: To get the freebie, visitors must take a photo of their visit and share it on social media.
The Minnesota Zoo, where regular adult admission is $18, has its own deal: Macy's Mother's Day Weekend May 11-12, when moms will get in free.
Mary Abbe • 612-673-4431
