Sample St. Paul
Events & Entertainment Guide: May 2026

“Thomas & Friends: Explore the Rails!” is presented through May 10. Inspired by the popular children’s series, this interactive exhibit engages children in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities.

“Monsters on Vacation,” May 23-Jan. 10, 2027. Join a batch of friendly monsters for a beach day, featuring a monster obstacle course, underwater disco, lifeguard station and more.

Tickets are $17 on weekdays and $19 on weekends. Admission is free the first Sunday of each month; reservations are required and tickets are limited. The next free date is May 3.

Stifel Stars on Ice, 4 p.m., Sunday, May 10, featuring U.S. Olympic gold medalists. From $28.

Bring Me the Horizon, 6 p.m., Wednesday, May 13. From $44.

“The Stories We Keep,” through August 21. This new exhibit features 25 remarkable objects from Minnesota Historical Society’s collections, including a milk carton kayak, letters by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Prince memorabilia.

“Julia Child: A Recipe for Life,” through May 31. Discover how Julia Child transformed American cooking. The exhibit follows her journey from California childhood to French adventures, bestselling cookbooks and groundbreaking television.

“Reframing our Stories” features photographs of Native community members, organizations, activities and events.

“Our Home: Native Minnesota” features historic and contemporary photographs, maps and artifacts that show how Minnesota’s native communities have retained cultural practices, teachings and values.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and college students, and $8 for children ages five to 17. Admission and parking are free on Thursdays, 4-8 p.m.

“Courting Harry,” May 14-June 7. Follow Minnesota natives Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger and Justice Harry Blackmun, lifelong friends whose strong bonds are tested by the momentous decisions before them. Burger and Blackmun were best friends growing up in the same St. Paul neighborhood and they remained close despite their differing career paths, not to mention their often conflicting personal and political ideologies. When Richard Nixon appointed them both to the highest court in America, they found themselves at odds over some of the most controversial legal cases in American history. From $25.

Urban Exhibition: Cambodia, 1-3 p.m., Sunday, May 3. Experience music, dance, crafts and traditions. Free.

Romanian Women in Culture-Voice, Visionaries and Legacy, 1-3 p.m., each Sunday in May. Free.

Ballet Tuesdays: Les Sirènes, noon-1 p.m., Tuesday, May 5. Free.

Schubert Club Courtroom Concerts: Rob Kelly Hines, baritone, noon-1 p.m., Thursday, May 7. Free.

St. Paul Civic Symphony Mother’s Day concert, 1-3 p.m., Sunday, May 10. Free.

Woodturning demonstration, 1-4 p.m., Sunday, May 17. Free

Public Building Tour, 12:30 p.m.-1:15 p.m., Sunday, April 12 and 19. Learn about the building’s history, gangster connections and restoration. Free.

Minnesota Bridal Expo, 1-5:30 p.m., Sunday, May 3. The expo showcases a wide selection of wedding professionals ready to help couples find the perfect gown, reception venue, invitations, photographer, music, menu, honeymoon destination and more. $10 at the door; free with online registration at bridalshowsmn.com/free-passes.

“Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity,” through May 1, 2026. A look at the uniquely complex organ that protects humans and animals, illustrating the incredibly adaptive properties of skin across all organisms.

Virtual Reality Transporter, through December. Use the VRT to hurtle through the cosmos at fantastic speeds, scuba dive into prehistoric seas, and join the astronauts of Apollo 11 as they moonwalk for the first time. $9.95.

Museum Nights, 5-8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Explore museum galleries, check out special Science Live performances, enjoy food and drink, then catch an Omnitheater show. Tickets are $34.95 for adults and $24.95 for ages 4-17.

Ominifest continues through April 5 in the Omnitheater. Shows are “Volcanoes: Fires of Creation,” and “Lost in Space: A Stellar Tours Adventure.”

Tickets are $34.95 for adults and $24.95 for ages 4-17 and include an Omnitheatre show.