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 A view of The Bakken Museum from the medicinal garden | |
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| Established | 1975–1976 |
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| Location | 3537 Zenith Avenue South,Minneapolis,Minnesota, United States |
| Coordinates | 44°56′17″N93°19′15″W / 44.93806°N 93.32083°W /44.93806; -93.32083 |
| Type | Science museum |
| Director | Alissa Light |
| Website | www |
The Bakken Museum (/ˈbɑːkən/BAH-kən) is situated inMinneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Established in 1975 byEarl Bakken, the co-founder ofMedtronic, it serves as ascience museum. The museum boasts interactive displays covering various topics within science, technology, and the humanities. Notably, it includes a substantial exhibit dedicated toMary Shelley's classic novelFrankenstein.[1]
The museum houses approximately 11,000 written works and around 2,000 scientific instruments, with a particular focus onelectrophysiology andelectrotherapeutics. Notable holdings include works authored byJean Antoine Nollet,Benjamin Franklin,Giovanni Battista Beccaria,Luigi Galvani,Giovanni Aldini,Alessandro Volta,Guillame Benjamin Amand Duchenne, andEmil Heinrich Du Bois-Reymond. Additionally, the museum holds journals such asAnnalen der Physik, thePhilosophical Transactions,Proceedings of the Royal Society, andZeitschrift für Physik.[2] Within the museum, there exists an exhibit dedicated toFrankenstein, which explores the intersection of electricity and medicine depicted inMary Shelley'snovel. This portrayal, as well as the subsequent 1931 film adaptation featuringBoris Karloff, directly influenced Bakken's pursuit of invention. Bakken's endeavors culminated in his invention of the pacemaker and the establishment ofMedtronic.[1]
The museum's permanent exhibits are[3]
A newspaper reporter once said the venue "seems a throwback to another time when skilled craftsmen shaped stone, wood and glass into places with lasting appeal".[2]
The Bakken Museum was established by inventorEarl Bakken, who also founded themedical technology company Medtronic in 1949.[5] Bakken harbored a lifelong fascination with electricity and innovation. During his childhood, he, self-identified as a "nerd," conceived a basicelectroshock device at school as a means of repelling bullies.[6][7]
At Bakken's proposal in 1969, Dennis Stillings, then employed in Medtronic's library, initiated the acquisition of books and devices. By 1974, the collection had garnered recognition withinantiquarian circles and was presented with two assortments of early electrical devices. Initially housed at the Medtronic headquarters inSaint Anthony Village, Minnesota, the collection expanded to occupy a floor in the Medtronic branch office inBrooklyn Center, Minnesota by 1975. In 1976, the relocation process to its current site commenced.[8]
Previously sponsored by the museum, the Bakken Quartet showcasedchamber music performances onsite. Presently, the ensemble operates under the name Bakken Trio and continues to deliver musical performances inSaint Paul, Minnesota.[9]
Architect Carl A. Gage constructed the building between 1928 and 1930 as the residence of William Goodfellow, who had sold his dry goods store in 1904 toGeorge Dayton, the founder of what is nowTarget Corporation. Reflecting a blend of 16th-century English architectural styles, including Tudor and Gothic Revival, the home was christened "West Winds" and boasted features such as dark wood interior paneling, open-beamed ceilings, grouped and arched windows, and stained glass. Originally comprising fifteen rooms and eleven bathrooms, the property was bequeathed to theGirl Scouts upon Goodfellow's passing in 1944. Subsequently, the Cornelius family occupied the residence from 1953 to 1976, after which it transitioned into the Bakken Museum.
In 1999, the museum underwent an expansion project, effectively doubling its size from 13,000 square feet (1,208 square meters) to 25,000 square feet (2,323 square meters).[10] An underground vault measuring 1,200 square feet (111 square meters), constructed in 1981, safeguards the collection by maintaining a consistent temperature of 65 °F (18 °C) and a relativehumidity of 55 percent.[8]
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