EVENTS
Events at the Minnesota Discovery Center
Events & Programs
We organize a variety of fun events and educational programming throughout the year, including interactive workshops, interpretive tours, youth day camps, live musical performances, and more. Proceeds from MDC events and programs are used to further our organization’s mission.
Flagship Events & Programs
Are you curious about ancient artifacts? Dig into the past with us! Learn more about the Iron Range’s human history during this fun, interactive, and informative day camp.
Are you curious about fossils? Each summer, join us for a multi-day camp where kids learn about paleontology, dig for real fossils, and even take home their own Cretaceous finds!
Enjoy activities designed for the whole family! Engage with specialists and learn about a variety of topics, from geology to paleontology, spinning to weaving, and more!
Discover who we are and what we offer at the Iron Range Research Center! Orientation tours are held all day on the second Saturday of each month.
Can’t make it in during the day? Join us on the last Thursday of each month to explore your family history during extended hours! Our research center staff is here to help you until 8:00pm.
Join us for our Bands, Brews, & BBQ live music series most Thursdays from 4:00pm to 8:00pm throughout the summer! Support your local musicians, eat scrumptious food, sip a cold drink, play yard games, and enjoy free Museum admission.
Ride our historic trolley through the beautiful fall foliage to the Glen Location pumpkin patch. Enjoy delicious fall treats and complimentary warm drinks, and bring your own pumpkin home! This year’s Trolley Pumpkin Day will be hosted on October 25th and 26th, 2025.
More than just concerts, the Red Dirt Concert Series celebrates music, culture, and the great outdoors in the Irons Range’s best open-air amphitheater. Our 2025 lineup includes The Okee Dokee Brothers, Eli Young Band, and Killer Queen!
Each spring, join us for an evening of educational fun in support of the mental well-being of our community’s youth. While you explore local mental health resources and chat with specialists about healthy living strategies, enjoy live music, yummy food, fun games, exciting prizes, and Ride MN BMX stunt shows.
Over three days in September, MDC welcomes approximately 600 ninth graders from across the Iron Range for an innovative experience with the goal of changing the way our youth think and talk about mental health, in addition to providing them with tools and resources to utilize throughout the school year. If you are interested in supporting this event or having your school participate, please send a message to youthmentalhealthday@gmail.com.
