The Works is an interactive children's museum in Bloomington, Minnesota that focuses on technology and engineering.Chrissy Sarinske, "Engineering is Cool at The Works Museum", Minnesota Monthly, November 2013.
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 (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.Richard Chin, "Twin Cities kids can tinker as techies, thanks to her", St. Paul Pioneer Press, October 21, 2015.Nick Nelson, "The Works STEM museum cultivating young engineers", TechdotMN, October 22, 2012. In 2011 the museum reported annual attendance of 50,000 visitors.Maja Beckstrom, "Family Outings: Hands-on approach works at The Works in Bloomington", St. Paul Pioneer Press, March 17, 2012. Since 2003, The Works has sponsored an annual "Tech Fest".Sarah Thamer, "Bloomington’s Works Museum hosts 13th annual Tech Fest", Murphy News Service of the University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication in The Sun Current, March 15, 2016.
References
External links Official website Rebecca Schatz, "Focus and Balance for the Small Museum", in http://www.inventingtheworks.org/2015/02/welcome-to-history-of-works.html