The best arts & culture spots in Anoka County

Mudslinger Pottery is where St. Paul folks escape the grind and, well, play in the clay. Expect hands-on classes, a browse-worthy gallery, and orderable pieces, all guided by the One & Only Captain Mudslinger, so you leave a little calmer and a lot more creative.

From the St. Paul newsletter, September 22, 2026

When your kid's masterpiece or that thrifted print deserves more than a basic mat, Grand Hill Gallery brings decades of custom framing know-how, 3,000 samples, and impeccable craftsmanship. Plus, they showcase and restore original oil paintings from regional artists, so your walls actually start conversations.

From the St. Paul newsletter, September 19, 2026

Hidden in plain sight, Hmong Cultural Center pairs a storefront museum with the Hmong Resource Center Library, home to the most comprehensive collection of Hmong-related literature in North America, plus classes that unpack music, dance and ceremonies.

From the St. Paul newsletter, October 16, 2026

Part time capsule, part community hub, North Star Museum of Boy Scouting & Girl Scouting preserves Upper Midwest Scouting history with collections of artifacts, events, and merit badge and Girl Scout workshops.

From the Oakdale newsletter, September 9, 2026

Kid-friendly museum featuring exhibits of toy model trains and vintage steam locomotives plus a gift shop. Includes train ride.

Whether you make art or just like snooping around great ideas, Burl Gallery is a women-led nonprofit in Lowertown that removes submission fees and commissions, hosts open calls, and packs in community shows like Tiny Art Expo and Makers Market, plus a gift shop featuring local creators.

From the St. Paul newsletter, October 13, 2026

Hmong Museum is the spot when you want substance with your weekend wandering, with exhibits and workshops plus special programs and collaborative events that actually teach you something. Their Learn Uake site packs research-based resources on Hmong history, culture, and art, so curiosity keeps going after you leave.

From the St. Paul newsletter, October 20, 2026

A quick hop from Maplewood, Landmark Center packs your calendar with art exhibits, the Sundays at Landmark series, intimate Landmark Live concerts, quirky History Plays, and even the Gangster Ghost Tour, all inside a stunning historic building that makes every outing feel a little special.

From the Maplewood newsletter, September 10, 2026

City of Baseball Museum turns St. Paul’s diamond lore into a hands-on wander, with an Interactive Tech Table, a sprawling Floor Map of St. Paul, and exhibits like The Greatest Day Exhibit and Space Jam Exhibit, all tied into CHS Field and the St.

From the St. Paul newsletter, October 5, 2026

Calendula Gallery champions local contemporary artists in St. Paul’s historic Lowertown arts district, mixing consignment and traditional shows with classes and community events that actually feel neighborly.

From the St. Paul newsletter, September 11, 2026

Visitors can take guided tours of this rugged stone mansion completed in 1891 for a railway magnate.

Curious what 19th century power living looked like right here at home? Alexander Ramsey House, a former governor’s mansion turned museum, brings the personal side of Victorian history into focus with rooms that feel lived in and stories that stick with you.

From the St. Paul newsletter, September 29, 2026

Into planet landscapes and nebula vibes? Don White - Art Dreamer is a Saint Paul artist creating outer space backgrounds, planet landscapes, and experimental pieces you can preview on your wall with Live Preview AR, which is very cool. Great for adding a little cosmic calm to a Woodbury home office.

From the Woodbury newsletter, September 3, 2026

Part of Ramsey County Historical Society, Gibbs Farm is a seasonal historic site where costumed interpreters, hands-on tours, and a prairie setting make local history feel close to home. Expect Dakota and pioneer stories, kids’ camps, and the kind of farm animals that steal the show.

From the St. Paul newsletter, August 31, 2026

At the Minnesota Transportation Museum in St. Paul, explore the historic Jackson Street Roundhouse, see restorations happening, and get hands-on with rail history. Then catch a seasonal ride on the Osceola & St.

From the Ramsey County newsletter, October 22, 2026

Landmark Center turns an ornate 1902 former government building into a lively home for art and history, with concerts, plays, and exhibits. Locals love the Sundays at Landmark series, Gangster Ghost Tour, and that North Tower climb when you want views with your St. Paul lore.

From the St. Paul newsletter, September 15, 2026

The Minnesota State Capitol is a 1905 Beaux Arts beauty that still serves as the seat of state government, which makes it the rare museum where history and headlines share a hallway. Stop in to admire the craftsmanship and leave feeling a little more plugged into St. Paul.

From the St. Paul newsletter, October 11, 2026

Whether your kids need an energy outlet or you do, The Bakken Museum turns curiosity into play inside a gorgeous historic mansion. Tinker in Spark to make music or a mini movie, get zapped with Ben Franklin’s electric tricks, and explore Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein roots...

From the Minneapolis newsletter, September 20, 2026

Whether you’ve lived here forever or just realized Blaine has more history than hockey schedules, the Blaine Historical Society keeps our stories alive. Pop in this week to explore the Story of Blaine, browse the Blaine History Book, and check out local history displays that make the past feel neighborly.

From the Anoka County newsletter, October 23, 2026

Historic Fort Snelling spotlights many voices and many stories in one place, with exhibits that make Minnesota’s past feel surprisingly close. Carve out an hour this week for a refresh on homegrown stories that still matter, then bring those new facts to your next backyard chat.

From the Lakeville newsletter, August 8, 2026

Step into the rebuilt ruins and let Mill City Museum turn Minneapolis’s flour power past into something you can actually touch, hear, and see. Interactive exhibits, big industrial vibes, and dramatic views make it a perfect quick reset this week... a reminder why we’re the Mill City.

From the Minneapolis newsletter, September 16, 2026

From first twirls to unforgettable performances, Woodbury Dance Center helps dancers build confidence, friendships, and real technique through recreational classes, session classes, and competitive groups. Think Creative Movement, hip hop, tap, ballet, plus Darby’s Dancers for dancers with special needs...

From the Woodbury newsletter, August 24, 2026

This week, whether you geek out over intricate workings or just want a brain-refresh, The James J. Fiorentino Museum lines up extraordinary clocks, musical marvels, art, and curiosities. It’s a craftsmanship rabbit hole that turns a quick pop-in into a quietly mind-blowing afternoon.

From the Minneapolis newsletter, October 7, 2026

American Swedish Institute blends a stately Turnblad Mansion with exhibitions, hands-on Nordic handcraft and language programs, plus the always-tempting FIKA Café. It’s the kind of spot you pop into for an exhibit and somehow leave humming drinking songs and eyeing the Museum Store.

From the Minneapolis newsletter, October 21, 2026

Need a brain-refresh this week that isn’t another Netflix scroll? Minnesota History Center packs exhibits like Our Home: Native Minnesota, archives you can actually dig into at the Gale Family Library, and stories that connect today’s headlines to yesterday’s Minnesotans.

From the St. Paul newsletter, August 23, 2026

Between artist-designed Skyline Mini Golf on the rooftop, an immersive Christine Sun Kim show humming through Aug 30, and the ever-refreshing Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Walker Art Center is the midweek creative reset your brain's been craving. Go wander, get inspired, text a friend later.

From the Minneapolis newsletter, October 13, 2026

Specialty model-railroad museum featuring large displays, toy trains & history exhibits.

When you want a break from the usual galleries, The Museum of Russian Art brings sharp, timely shows like Poster Art of the Soviet Era, Mark Mednikov: Artist and Architect, and Elena Kalman’s Catastrophe and What Survives, plus Russian language classes, smart events, and a dangerously browsable gift shop.

From the Minneapolis newsletter, October 16, 2026

The People's Museum for Prince is a celebration of Prince Rogers Nelson, with 70+ participants from nine countries and programs from a film, art and poetry night to a community day. The 2026 edition just wrapped, so browse the new photos and add your own Minneapolis memories while they prep the online archive.

From the Lakeville newsletter, September 13, 2026

Bell Museum is Minnesota’s official natural history museum and planetarium with world famous wildlife dioramas, a hands-on Touch & See Lab featuring 10,000-year-old fossils plus living plants and animals, and the Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan Planetarium for trips from neighborhood skies to deep space.

From the St. Paul newsletter, August 22, 2026

Weisman Art Museum brings American and contemporary works plus ceramics into a modern stainless steel and brick icon on the river. Swing by this week to see The Portfolio's Purpose before it closes on August 23, 2026 and drop into Open Studio: Nell Pierce - Color Stories through August 31, 2026.

From the Minneapolis newsletter, September 22, 2026

From hands-on exhibits to the Omnitheater's immersive flicks, Science Museum of Minnesota is the kind of spot that makes rainy afternoons weirdly exciting. Check out Nature All Around Us, catch Pandas on the big screen, or go for the 21+ Dinner and a Movie for a grown-up night.

From the St. Paul newsletter, September 27, 2026

Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery preserves and spotlights Black Minnesota through rotating exhibits, a mural created by 16 local artists, and a kid-friendly Children’s Reading Circle.

From the Minneapolis newsletter, September 29, 2026