Subject to closure due to adverse weather, including high temperatures, poor air quality, and other inclement conditions.
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.
Our Backyard is an outdoor, natural environment. You may encounter wildlife as part of your visit. We take reasonable precautions to keep our grounds welcoming and safe, but we ask all visitors to remain aware of their surroundings and to respect the wild animals that share this space with us.
By entering these spaces, you acknowledge that you are in a natural environment and accept the inherent risks that come with it. Thank you for helping us be good neighbors to the wildlife around us.
© 2026 Science Museum of Minnesota.
