A group of kids looks at wolves inside a diorama at the Bell Museum

Summer Youth Groups

We’d love to host your group at the Bell to our state-of-the-art planetarium, world renowned wildlife dioramas and exhibitions.

Interested in bringing your youth group to the Bell Museum? Fill out the request form below. Please note: The request form is required but does not guarantee a booking. Your trip is not confirmed until you have heard from a member of our Bell Groups team.

Summer Youth Group Visit Request Form

Group Experiences

The following group experience options can be arranged individually or in combination. Please note: gallery experiences are self-guided.

Bell Museum Galleries

Take your group on a journey through space and time in our Minnesota Journeys gallery. Groups will explore the museum gallery space, including the Touch & See lab and Nova galleries. Soar into space exploration and the diversity of life, learning about topics such as astronomy, geology, and biology, and current research being done at the University of Minnesota.
 
The hands-on learning continues outside in our sustainable Learning Landscape with native plants, gardens, a pond, a weather station, beehive, an upstairs observation deck and other highlights.

Planetarium Shows

Groups are welcome to reserve seats for a show in the Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan Planetarium. The planetarium has theater-style seating for up to 120 people.

Museum & Planetarium Combo

Groups interested in the exhibit galleries & a planetarium show may choose from either a morning or afternoon visit.

Summer Youth Group Pricing

Youth:

  • $12 combo admission
  • $10 museum admission
  • $6 planetarium tickets

Adult chaperones:

  • $18 combo admission
  • $12 museum admission
  • $8 planetarium ticket

Policies and FAQ

Accessibility
We are committed to access for all audiences. If you have any special accommodations needed, please contact us at bellgroups@umn.edu or 612-624-4957. Additional resources can be found at this link. 

Food and Drink
The Bell Museum cannot accommodate any on-site lunches during the summer months. Groups will need to eat at their site or plan to visit one of the nearby parks for lunch. Ask our staff for park recommendations. Please note: No food or drink is allowed in museum galleries or planetarium. 

Final Headcount
Please be advised that due to staffing and a fixed number of seats in the planetarium, groups will need to have a confirmed headcount three weeks before their visit date. We cannot accommodate groups that show up with more children than registered.

Booking & Payment
Visits must be booked at least three weeks in advance. The minimum size for discounted group rates is 15 people. Payment is due before or onsite the day of visit and must be in the form of a single check or credit card payment. We do not accept purchasing orders.

Cancellations
There is a one-time option to reschedule, dependent on availability. Groups that cancel less than 5 days in advance will be charged 50% of their visit costs.

Chaperones
Check out our special guide for summer youth group chaperones.