General admission to the museum is FREE to all. A surcharge may apply for admission into special exhibitions. Admission is granted on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to capacity restrictions, admission is not guaranteed.
"Target First Free Sundays"--free general admission on the first Sunday of every month and the family programs offered on that day--are made possible by Target.
This is not a children's museum in the standard sense of the phrase; the exhibits are neither interactive nor geared to small people. But the beautifully renovated space is well worth a visit, especially the first Saturday of every month when the museum hosts a Family Program, which includes studio and gallery activities. And on Sundays at 1pm a storyteller brings to life a selected art object in a retelling of adventures, myths, and legends. Turns out to be a great way to appreciate art.
Afterwards, you can wander through the rest of the museum and look at the rest of the art, which represents 6,000 years of Asian. The collection, which numbers 15,000 pieces (only a small percentage is displayed at any given time), includes Indonesian and Cambodian bronzes, hanging Japanese scrolls, intricately woven Himalayan thankas and mandalas, and ritual instruments made of bone, and ornate jewelry.
Make a point of working up a hunger so you can stop in at the museum cafe, which offers sushi, miso soup, rice, and other Asian fare at pretty reasonable prices. The Museum hosts a couple programs specific to families:
Family Festivals: Semiannual museum-wide events during which the cultural and artistic traditions of Asia come alive. The festivals celebrate the parent-child relationship with a fun-filled day of engaging progams - all free with museum admission. Target Family Programs: Every first Sunday of the month admission is free to everyone. There are also family programs on these days, ranging from performances, art activities, and more.