Highest-rated specialty museums in Minnesota by visitors

In 1683, Elias Ashmole, an Oxford graduate and true polymath, , the modern world's first public museum. Stocked with his private collection of artifacts, curios, and special scientific equipment, the goal of the museum was to create a center for practical research and the advancement of knowledge. This, Ashmole felt, was a goal "very necessary to humaine life, health [and] the conveniences thereof."

According to figures from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, there are in the United States today. Their collections encompass everything from modern art, like at the MoMA in New York City, to mustard, like at the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin, and everything in between.

Museums are anchors of our communities. The reports that museums support more than 725,000 jobs and contribute upwards of $50 billion to the U.S. economy each year. Three-quarters of Americans agree that museums are an important part of our civil society and have an important role in promoting knowledge and civic engagement.

Beyond their educational and economic significance, museums are just plain fun. Whether you have a developed interest in natural history or just want to learn a little bit more about funerary history (the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston), there's sure to be a museum that strikes your interest. There's simply nothing else quite like spending an afternoon learning about famous figures, arts and crafts, military history, or what else you fancy.

Here, compiled a list of the highest-rated specialty museums in Minnesota on as of Aug. 13, 2025. Keep reading to see what unique museums are in your home state. Then, make sure to plan a visit. With many museums facing funding cuts due to the current administration's efforts to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services, who's to say how much longer these treasure troves will be available to us?

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#30. Jackson Street Roundhouse

- Rating: 4.5/5 (49 reviews)
- City: Saint Paul
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#29. The St. Louis County Depot

- Rating: 4.5/5 (151 reviews)
- City: Duluth
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#28. State School Orphanage Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (56 reviews)
- City: Owatonna
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#27. Twin City Model Railroad Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (84 reviews)
- City: Saint Paul
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#26. Wings of the North Air Museum

- Rating: 4.9/5 (39 reviews)
- City: Eden Prairie
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#25. Watkins Museum and Store

- Rating: 4.3/5 (106 reviews)
- City: Winona
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#24. Fagen Fighters WWII Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (73 reviews)
- City: Granite Falls
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#23. Dorothy Molter Museum

- Rating: 4.6/5 (208 reviews)
- City: Ely
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#22. Runestone Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (199 reviews)
- City: Alexandria
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#21. Red Wing Shoe Store & Museum

- Rating: 4.2/5 (313 reviews)
- City: Red Wing
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#20. Museum of Illusions Mall of America

- Rating: 4.8/5 (63 reviews)
- City: Bloomington
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#19. Minnesota Transportation Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (105 reviews)
- City: Saint Paul
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#18. Grand Portage National Monument

- Rating: 4.8/5 (364 reviews)
- City: Grand Portage
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#17. The Bakken Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (127 reviews)
- City: Minneapolis
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#16. Schell's

- Rating: 4.6/5 (383 reviews)
- City: New Ulm
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#15. Mayowood Historic Home

- Rating: 4.5/5 (180 reviews)
- City: Rochester
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#14. Lake Superior Railroad Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (470 reviews)
- City: Duluth
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#13. Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum

- Rating: 4.3/5 (194 reviews)
- City: Walnut Grove
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#12. Great Lakes Aquarium

- Rating: 3.9/5 (627 reviews)
- City: Duluth
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#11. Foshay Tower

- Rating: 4.3/5 (295 reviews)
- City: Minneapolis
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#10. S.S. William A. Irvin Ore Boat Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (421 reviews)
- City: Duluth
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#9. International Wolf Center

- Rating: 4.5/5 (754 reviews)
- City: Ely
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#8. Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center

- Rating: 4.6/5 (694 reviews)
- City: Duluth
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#7. North American Bear Center

- Rating: 4.8/5 (757 reviews)
- City: Ely
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#6. American Swedish Institute

- Rating: 4.6/5 (517 reviews)
- City: Minneapolis
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#5. Science Museum of Minnesota

- Rating: 4.6/5 (1,141 reviews)
- City: Saint Paul
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#4. Paisley Park

- Rating: 4.4/5 (757 reviews)
- City: Chanhassen
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#3. Spam Museum and Visitor Center

- Rating: 4.6/5 (734 reviews)
- City: Austin
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#2. Glensheen - The Historic Congdon Estate

- Rating: 4.5/5 (1,305 reviews)
- City: Duluth
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#1. Mill City Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (1,586 reviews)
- City: Minneapolis
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This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Madison Troyer, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.

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