Opening Day: Our Backyard
May 23 | 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Be the first to visit Our Backyard!
Our Backyard is the summer space to create, build, splash, wander, and reminisce — or simply take a break and enjoy the river view. In this interactive outdoor exhibit, experience large-scale, full-body, nature-based, messy, and noisy experiences that reconnect you with the world around us. Our Backyard, where engineering meets creativity on the Mississippi River, offers sophisticated outdoor fun for all science enthusiasts.
Demonstration fields and gardens provide a living laboratory for exploration of cultural connections, sustainability, and the future of food. Shaded seating and a 1,700-square foot pavilion — thanks to our friends at Best Buy Foundation — make it the perfect place to enjoy lunch while exploring the museum.
Exhibit Highlights
- Drop a small parachute, experimenting with wind resistance
- Create and run your own obstacle course
- Make music in hammock chime chairs
- Create a small wind turbine, testing its effectiveness
- Share secrets across the park using whisper dishes
- Design a game using water blasters and targets
- Exploring Energy, powered by Xcel Energy, a set of interactive exhibits that give you the chance to experiment with energy and wind power
