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| Established | 1995 |
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| Location | Bloomington, Minnesota |
| Type | Science Museum |
| Website | The Works |
The Works is an interactive children's museum in Bloomington, Minnesota that focuses on technology and engineering. [1] [2]
The museum was conceived by Rebecca Schatz, a software engineer who was inspired by a visit to the Exploratorium in San Francisco, and by the hands-on technical education for children that she observed during a year as a Luce Scholar in Japan in 1984. The Works first opened as a gallery exhibition within the Bell Museum of Natural History at the University of Minnesota in 1995, then moved to a series of temporary locations in shopping centers and to the community center in Edina [3] (Ridgedale - 1995–1997, Eden Prairie Center 1997–1999, Southdale 1999–2002, and Edina Cmty. Center 2003–2011), before finding a larger, permanent home with 40,000 square feet of space in Bloomington in 2011. [4] [5] In 2011 the museum reported annual attendance of 50,000 visitors. [6] Since 2003, The Works has sponsored an annual "Tech Fest". [7]
