The Great River Children’s Museum In St. Cloud Is An Absolute Gem [PHOTOS]

The Great River Children's Museum will celebrate its official opening day on June 10th after a planning and development process that can be traced back to 1983. Let me be the first to tell you: it was well worth the wait!

My family was able to check out the museum as part of its 'soft opening' this past weekend and we were absolutely amazed at its sheer awesomeness! It is truly a triumph for the families of Central Minnesota and beyond.

The entrance to the building is bright and vibrant, the staff was very friendly, welcoming and helpful, the exhibits were robust and plentiful and there was enough to do to keep a family occupied all day long.

We have a two year old and a seven year old and they both found things that they loved at the museum.

GREAT BIG RIVER 

I think if you asked each of my kids which of the exhibits was their favorite, this would probably be the winner. We ended up coming back to this room three times after exploring other areas of the museum.

This amazing river simulation has dams, cyclones, rain clouds, bridges and more to provide hands-on learning.

CLIMBER TO THE CLOUDS 

This was a physical activity for the kids that was better suited for our seven-year-old than our two-year-old (who also had his own areas to explore). It is a three-story play structure that allows kids to climb up nearly to the building's ceiling!

It was really well-lit and decorated with vibrant colors.

My son's review? "THAT WAS AWESOME!" 

GREAT EXPLORATIONS/COMMUNITY CONNECTION 

The Community Connection exhibit gives kids a chance to take the stage and be a star, shop at a farmer's market, sorting letters and packages at the post office, cook a meal at a cafe and more!

Great Explorations is a place for the littles, aged 0-3, to have space of their own to play in and explore.

EVERYDAY ENGINEERING/TINKER WORKSHOP

This was another big hit with our kids. They loved sending colorful scarves through the pneumatic tubes and trying to catch them when they floated down from the ceiling and 'testing their strength' with different pulley systems.

The Tinker Workshop had TONS of fun things for kids to, well, tinker with. My wife and two-year old worked on magnet tiles while my seven year old made the tinker toy tower of his dreams.

HEADWATERS

This is another showcase exhibit at the museum. The ceiling projects the night sky with stars and the moon, a 'campfire' with logs and surrounded with chairs sits in the middle of the room, the sounds of wildlife surround you at your 'campsite' and you can even take a 'spin' in a canoe.

My two-year-old was a little unsure about the general darkness of the room but enjoyed the toddler-sized slide in the corner. My seven-year-old was right in his element and really enjoyed this area.

OXBOW OUTDOOR EXHIBIT

We almost missed this! Located on the west side of the building, this outdoor play area provided an opportunity for our kids to climb, scoop sand, explore water features and more!