This week, the staff at the Bell will be taking some time to reflect on the past year and prepare for the exciting things in store during 2026. This means that the museum will be closed to the public January 5–9. Visit our website for more information on our hours and admissions.

The Bell is closed on December 24, 25, and January 1. We are open for special hours on December 29 and 30. Stay warm and we hope to see you soon! Learn more about our hours and admissions at: https://www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/admissions/

It's planting season! While most gardens are bedded down for the winter, many native plant species require a cold period to germinate. Plus, the melting and thawing of snow works seeds into the soil. Last week, Learning Landscape Gardener Alex Wegrzyn helped students spread new seed at the Bell.

We're so proud of Bell Curator of Birds Dr. Sushma Reddy, featured at the British Ornithologists' Union conference this year. Check out her thread! #BOUasm25

For a few brief and beautiful minutes last night, Minnesotans across the state stopped what they were doing to step outside and catch a glimpse of the aurora. These photos were taken at the Bell by Planetarium Manager Sally Brummel. Did you experience the aurora last night? Send us your pictures!

Happy #FossilFriday! It’s #GarWeek so check out these 50 million year old #gar fish from #Utah at the Science Museum of Minnesota! This genus, Lepisosteus, goes back to the Cretaceous and is still swimming today! Thanks to @bellmuseum.bsky.social & @garlab.bsky.social for hyping these cool #fish!

You can hear Brandon Kilbourne read from Natural History this Wednesday at the U's @bellmuseum.bsky.social! @graywolfpress.bsky.social events.tc.umn.edu/event/25210-...

Salvage Wildlife, Statewide! Bell curatorial staff Dr. Keith Barker and Sam Getty recently visited Salvage Wildlife partner Concordia College to teach a crash course on bird-prepping. Volunteer specimen preppers learned the ins-and-outs of turning a salvaged bird carcass into a scientific specimen!

Nostalgia, conversation, & climate are central to a new art installation at the Bell, Face to Face: 20 Questions that Lead to Loving the Planet. Read more about this art experience by MN artist Alyssa Baguss in our latest blog post! https://www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/blog/face-to-face-with-alyssa-baguss

The climate is changing, but where do you fit in? Join us for Spotlight Science: Climate Action and YOU! on November 15 to find tips on how you can make large and small changes to build your climate action footprint. https://www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/event/spotlight-science-climate-action-and-you/

Meet the Astronomy Educators that are behind the scenes of your favorite planetarium experiences! Read our recent blog post to learn more! Find it at: https://www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/blog/meet-our-astronomy-educators/

Come see us at ConFluence 2025! This year, the Bell Museum will be at ConFluence: Futures in Color. This 2-day convention in NE Minneapolis celebrates art, sci-fi, futurisms, and fantasy centered on content by and for Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color. www.confluencemn.com

Something to chew on while you read... patrons at the Austin Public Library get to "check out" a real mammoth tooth, thanks to a loan from the Bell Museum! Specimen loans are just another way we bring natural history education statewide. If you're in Austin, go say hello to the big tooth!

This past week, we were honored to host the GLPA+WAC conference! The GLPA+WAC conference is the largest gathering of planetarium experts in the Great Lakes region. The week included informational sessions, planetarium shows, & a constellation shootout, where attendees tested constellation knowledge.

This Saturday, catch Finding Fungi, a planetarium show created by the Minnesota Mycological Society! Finding Fungi is screening as part of FungiFest, an all day fungal celebration. More at: https://www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/event/spotlight-science-fungifest-9-27-25/

It's almost time for this year's Statewide Star Party! From Sept 17-20, host sites throughout Minnesota will become activated with astronomical celebrations. Find a location near you at www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/2025-statewi... 📸: Jeffers Petroglyphs

Calling current UMN students! We’re hiring for two student positions — Museum Guides and Planetarium Assistants! If you’re interested in connecting people to nature, science, and astronomy, these positions might be a good fit for you! Apply by Sept 15. www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/employment/

How are natural history specimens created? 🐦 Recently, we hosted our annual event, Expeditions. At this event, Bell scientists demonstrate how to prepare natural history specimens. Read more about this year’s Expeditions in our recent blog post. www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/blog/expedit...

That’s a wrap for this year’s summer camps! Yesterday was our last day of summer camps at the Bell. Our summer camps are a huge team effort and wouldn’t be possible without all our amazing camp staff, educators, and you! Thanks to everyone who helped make this year’s camps out of this world 🚀

Find us at the MN State Fair! • STEM Day in Dan Patch Park on Thur, Aug 21 • Eco Experience on Sat, Aug 23, & Sun, Aug 24 • #UMN Crossroads Building on Mon, Aug 25 Meet our team, connect science, and learn more about what Minnesota’s state natural history museum has to offer!

Do you have an assemblage of agates, a collection of coins, a plethora of Pez dispensers? We want to see all the strange and wonderful things you collect — apply to share your collection at Collectors Day! Applications are open until Sept 28. www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/collectors-d...

What’s better than a meteor shower? Two meteor showers! Peaking on July 30, the Aquariid and Capricornid meteor showers are two celestial shows to catch this summer. Head out between midnight and the early morning to catch potentially dozens of meteors per hour! www.mprnews.org/story/2025/0...

Immerse yourself in MSP LTER urban ecological research at the Bell Museum's (@bellmuseum.bsky.social) Solution Studio, the award-winning makerspace where everyone is an ecologist! Learn more in today's #MinnesotaDaily article featuring our partnership w/ the Bell z.umn.edu/SolutionStudio25-News. 1/2

Fossils and plants: two things we love at the Bell! Researchers from the University of Florida and @floridamuseum.bsky.social discovered a new ancient family of plants - read how the Bell’s one million plant specimens helped contribute to the discovery! www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/blog/paleobo...

Congratulations to Bell affiliate @pjhundt.bsky.social on his recent publication, which describes several new species of studfish! Peter Hundt has added many fish specimens to the Bell’s collections. Read more about his research in our blog post: www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/blog/newly-d...

Congrats to @bellmuseum.bsky.social for being honored with the Impact Goals Award from @arisimpacts.bsky.social. The museum was recognized for Solution Studio, recurring makerspace that showcases current science from U of Minnesota and the researchers who conduct it. www.astc.org/science-and-...

We’re thrilled to share that @arisimpacts.bsky.social has awarded the Bell’s Solution Studio the 2025 Impact Goals Award! Solution Studio, our recurring makerspace, has featured the work of scientists working on urban ecology, as part of the @msp-lter.bsky.social researchinsociety.org/awards-2025/

Have you seen our monarchs & milkweed exhibit yet? Stop by the Bell Museum to learn more about what a day in the life of a monarch looks like!

I love visiting the @bellmuseum.bsky.social. I’ve seen this woolly mammoth so many times and it still intrigues me. A great place to visit if you’re ever in Saint Paul Minnesota. #saintpaul #minnesota #photograpghy #woollymamoth

Congratulations to PhD student Sutirtha Lahiri & Curator of Ornithology Sushma Reddy who published a letter in Science! Lahiri & Reddy’s letter highlights the need for conservation action in Indian grasslands that will help protect these unique & fragile ecosystems. www.science.org/doi/epdf/10....

We're more than a public museum — we’re also an active research institution. Through grad awards & fellowships, students pursue projects related to field biology, museum collections, & science edu. Learn about the 2024 Graduate Award & Fellowship recipients at: www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/grad-awards/...

It's 2025, and the Bell Museum is on Bluesky! What natural history and astronomy topics would you like to see us highlight this year? 🦣🌌