Advocate for the Science Museum of Minnesota

The Science Museum of Minnesota stands at a critical juncture. The Minnesota legislature is currently considering a Legacy bill that eliminates state funding for the museum, historically a crucial source of support. Arts and Cultural Heritage Legacy funds directly contribute to state goals to strengthen STEM pathways, support educators, drive environmental research, and expand educational opportunities for students across Minnesota. 

This cut would be direct and deep. It would:

  • Halt K-12 initiatives that reach thousands of students across the state; 

  • Affect community engagement programs like the Community Curator program and Pine Needles Artist Residency; 

  • Reduce Minnesota paleontology research and collections digitization; and 

  • Significantly decrease teacher professional development opportunities, especially for educators outside the Metro region. 

Staffing is at risk, with Legacy funding supporting salaries and benefits for 32 positions across the museum. 

We need your help to ensure our Legacy funding so we can keep working for and with our communities, schools, teachers, and students statewide. Please contact your state representatives today to express your support for the Science Museum of Minnesota in this year's funding bill. A simple phone call or email can make a tremendous difference. 

Share what the museum means to you personally, along with an explicit request for a $1.65 million appropriation, which would be flat to the last budget cycle. Emphasize how the museum serves as an educational resource, economic driver, and cultural treasure for our entire state. A sample letter is at the bottom of this page.

Every call, every email, every voice matters.


Sample letter

As someone who deeply values the impact of the Science Museum of Minnesota, I’m writing to express my strong support for a $1.65 million appropriation in the upcoming budget — consistent with the last budget cycle.

The museum is more than a cultural institution — it’s an educational resource, an economic driver, and a treasured asset for our entire state. I’ve seen firsthand the role it plays in enriching lives and bringing our community together. Please support this important funding request and help ensure the museum can continue its mission.