SPARK Children’s Museum- Rochester, Minnesota

If you have not visited this Children’s Museum, you need to add it to your list! Perfectly sized for your youngest kiddos through your oldest kiddos, it has all the “favorites” of the Children’s Museum in St. Paul and more! We visited this Children’s Museum in between our trip to Austin, MN and Wabasha, MN. It’s a great mid-way location if you’re looking for other places to visit along the way. Given SPARK is inside a shopping mall, I was not expecting the large multitude of activities they had available.

Despite our large range of skills and ages in our family (7, 4, and 1), there were things for each member of the family to stay actively playing the whole time we were there. Our visit was probably about 2.5 to 3 hours. Right away, the big kids were engrossed in large motor play in the Helix, which is a three-dimensional vertical maze sixteen feet in the air. My youngest loved the water table and could have spent hours happily splashing away. A world bazaar was right up my middle daughter’s alley where she could play make believe for awhile.

Other exhibits included: Lego building with a race track, a giant light brite wall, an air tube with pom poms and scarves, a reaction wall (which my competition-loving son adored), a city where kids could paint their own hot air balloons electronically and watch them come to life, and a younger kids area for those three and under. At the time we visited, my one year old was just starting to walk, so the cushy climbing area was perfect for her to explore and try out her new skills safely. She also, loved walking and crawling through the mirror section to look at herself all over.

Besides these normal exhibits, there was also, a makerspace exhibit. When we visited, there was a rock sensory table, which my kids loved! In the imagination station area, there was a painting activity that both my girls were able to participate in and enjoy. Overall, there was so much for the kids to do and learn about. Highly recommend a stop here whenever you visit Rochester! If you’re looking for more to do in the Rochester area, read this blog.

Additional details about SPARK Children’s Museum:

Location: Located in Apache Mall in the south corridor of the J.C. Penney wing

1201 12th Street SW Suite 632

Rochester, MN 55902

Hours: Monday: CLOSED

Tuesday-Sunday: 9am-5pm*

*Thursdays: 9am-6pm

Admission: FREE for under 1 years old

Adults and Children over 1: $12

Seniors (60 and over): $11

Military and Family Members (with ID): $11

Play for All (EBT/SNAP): $6

**Every Tuesday- Grandparents play free!

Until my next adventure,

Allie