The Weisman Art Museum on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis is completely free and fun to explore!
Did you know there is an art museum tucked into the University of Minnesota that’s completely free? While the exterior of the Weisman Art Museum is iconic and makes me wonder– how expensive is it to cool the building in the summer? The outside of the museum is just the tip of the iceberg, as anyone can visit the museum for FREE!
My toddler and I decided to check out the museum on a Wednesday during the school year. We loved exploring the various artwork– gigantic sculptures, larger-than-life paintings, immersive experiences including an apartment building hallway, a real life garden and much more. The Weisman Art Museum has been open since 1993 and has over 30,000 works of art in their collection!
The museum itself isn’t huge but there’s a lot to see and we really enjoyed the Open Studio space. Each month is new opportunity to make your own art. During the month of April you can create your own poetry and art in honor of National Poetry Month! My toddler enjoyed coloring while I wrote a short poem about our adventures and added it to the display with other people’s artwork.
We also were so happy to find the terrace space upstairs! The bathrooms of the museum are located upstairs and after our bathroom break we happened to find the most amazing terrace with an epic view of the Minneapolis skyline. A museum employee said the terrace is open to museum visitors when weather allows. Since the museum doesn’t allow water or snacks in the gallery, we took a few minutes to marvel at the skyline during a snack break– it was perfect!
We also picked up a free sticker for each of us at the end of our visit at the entrance. I was very excited to add mine to my water bottle! I also noticed they have sensory bags available upon request. The bags include sunglasses, headphones, fidgets, and a visual timer. I always get excited when I see organizations making an effort to help all people enjoy art!
There’s also a fun program on their website called Art Bites. Drop in for a free Art Bites tour on Thursday (11:30 a.m.), Saturday (1:30 p.m.), and Sunday (1:30 p.m.). These 3-stop, theme-driven, discussion-based tours are led by WAM’s Student Tour Guides. Art Bites tours take about half an hour and are a great way to take a deep dive into a small selection of artwork. What a perfect idea for families and those who homeschool!
One other note was about parking. We had a hard time finding a place to park! While there is a paid parking ramp located under the museum, it was completely full by 10am on a Wednesday. If it says– contract only— it’s full. I’d recommend checking out the East River Road Garage or just driving around until you find a spot. We did that and something opened up within a few minutes!
Weisman Art Center Address and Hours
The Weisman Art Museum is located at 333 E River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455. Admission is always free.
- Monday Closed
- Tuesday Closed
- Wednesday 10:00 am-5:00 pm
- Thursday 10:00 am-5:00 pm
- Friday 10:00 am-5:00 pm
- Saturday 11:00 am-5:00 pm
- Sunday 11:00 am-5:00 pm
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Hannah is a married mom of 3 kiddos in the Twin Cities. Born and raised here in MN, she loves finding deals and special events to share with others.
Hannah enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading books, going on road trips up north, singing along with the radio and finding new thrift stores to shop! Hannah is also a fierce advocate for people with disabilities and is always on the lookout for more sensory friendly opportunities in the Twin Cities.
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