Sample St. Paul
Entertainment Guide April 2025

“Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice,” through May 11. Travel back in time and discover what life was like when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Dig for fossils, explore a swampy bog and oozing volcano, climb through icy terrain and more.

Exhibits and activities include “The Scramble,” “The Studio,” “Creativity Jam,” “Sprouts,” “Our World,” “Forces at Play,” “Shipwreck Adventures” and “Imaginopolis.” 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 April 6.

“Girlhood (It’s complicated),” through June 1, 2025. This exhibit from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History features more than 100 objects that explore how young women have influenced politics, education, work, health and fashion.

“Reframing our Stories” is featured through October 2025. The exhibit was created from a decades-old box of photographs simply labeled “Indians.” Inside the box were dozens of pictures of Native community members, organizations, activities, and events that are relevant today.

“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.

Other exhibits include “Minnesota’s Greatest Generation,” “Then Now Wow,” “Grainland” and “Weather Permitting.” 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.

“Secret Warriors,” Mar. 29-April 19. Inspired by the stories of the Japanese Americans who served as translators and interrogators for the U.S. Armed Forces, “Secret Warriors” features two men, Koji Kimura and Tamio Takahashi, who took extraordinary risks to save their fellow soldiers in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Discover their compelling personal journeys and heartfelt love stories set against the backdrop of the war and the incarceration of their families. From $49.

Courtroom Concerts: Artaria String Quartet, noon-1 p.m., Thursday, Mar. 6 and Thursday, Mar. 20; and Ernest Bison, violin; Greg Byers, cello; and David Feily, Courtroom Concerts, noon-1 p.m. on Thursdays. Music of Timothy C. Takach, April 3; Cléa Galhano, recorder, Tulio Rondòn, cello, Tim Lovelace, piano, April 10; Amos Lucidi, piano, April 17; Lumina, April 24. Free.

Skylark Opera Theatre, 1-3 p.m., Sunday, April 6. Skylark Opera Theatre is known for a wide-ranging repertoire of opera and musical theater. Free.
Ballet Tuesdays, noon-1 p.m. April 8. Ballet performances and demonstrations by Ballet Co.Laboratory. Free.

Romanian Easter Traditions, 1-3 p.m., each Sunday in April, except April 20. Visit the Romanian American Cultural Center to learn about painted eggs, Easter customs and painted icons on glass. Free.

Urban Expedition: Venezuela, 1-3 p.m., Sunday, April 13. Authentic music, food, dance performances and crafts. Free.

BandWidth Community Band Festival, noon-6 p.m., Sunday, April 27. Marches, concert band classics, pop, Broadway, and jazz music performed by some of the top volunteer-based ensembles in Minnesota. 

Woodturning demonstration, 1-4 p.m., Sunday, Mar. 20 in the AAW Gallery of Wood Art. Free.

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

“when you’re in the mirror…” new exhibit on display Feb. 13-April 27. View portraits that consider the repercussions of perception through a relational emphasis.

“Here, Now,” through May 2027. Discover 150 artworks across media from historically significant and notable new artists. All are in the M’s permanent collection. The museum is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday-Sunday. Admission is free.

“Sister’s Easter Catechism: Will My Bunny Go to Heaven?” 2:30 p.m., Sunday, Mar. 30. Sister answers timeworn questions of the Easter season like “Why isn’t Easter the same day every year like Christmas? ”and “Will my bunny go to heaven?” From $43.

Sona Jobarteh, 7:30 p.m., Monday, Mar. 31. African Jobarteh blends traditional music, blues and Afropop. From $54.

Classic Albums Live: U2’s “The Joshua Tree,” 7:30 p.m., Friday, April 4. The entire album is performed live on stage. From $40.

“Oceana” by Border Crossing, 8 p.m., Saturday, April 5. “Oceana” is a reinvention of the Bach cantata form for a modern age. From $5.

“Sacred Voices” by Vocalessence, 4 p.m., Sunday, April 6. A concert of Sir James MacMillan songs, including “Seven Last Words from the Cross” and “The Sun Danced,” based on the miraculous visions of Our Lady of Fatima to three Portuguese shepherd children in 1917. From $26.

“Mean Girls,” April 8-13. Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the vicious ways of her strange new home in suburban Illinois. Soon, Cady falls prey to a trio of lionized frenemies led by the charming but ruthless Regina George. But when Cady devises a plan to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a Queen Bee without getting stung. From $45.

St. Paul Chamber Orchestra concerts – Mozart’s 40th Symphony with Dmitry Sinkovsky, 11 a.m., Friday, April 11. Jasmine Chi plays Mozart’s Second Flute Concerto, April 25-26. From $16 for both concerts.

Schubert Club concerts – Musicians on the Rise: Student Competition Winners Recital, 1 p.m., Sunday, April 13. Witness the best of the local rising musical stars in piano, strings, voice, guitar, brass and woodwinds. Free. Jess Gillam, saxophone, will perform April 16-17. From $28.

The FAWK Hmong (+Friends) Super Show by Funny Asian Women Kollective, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, April 19. An evening of live standup, storytelling, sketches, and short films that celebrate what living in the U.S. for 50 years can do to Southeast Asians – and one Korean. From $31.

Kevin Kling and Victor Zupanc, 7 p.m., Saturday, Mar. 29. Heartfelt stories and songs to feed your soul and tickle your funny bone. From $20.

Donnie Smith Bike Show, Mar. 29-30. Includes a bike show with over 35 classes and 20 custom bikes, vendors and entertainment.

Minnesota Roller Derby, 6 p.m., Saturday, Mar. 29 and April 26. From $22. 

People of Color Career Fair, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Tuesday, April 15. A networking and hiring event. Free.

“Butterfly Odyssey” through September 1. An interactive, maze-based exhibit that allows you to experience the fascinating behaviors and inspiring resilience of wild and farmed butterflies. The exhibit also examines how tropical butterfly farming can support the local community, impact the environment, and protect ecosystems around the world.

Virtual Reality Transporter, through December 2026. 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.

OmniFest continues through April 13. Includes:
“Extreme Weather” – An up-close look at some of the most astonishing and potentially deadly natural phenomena. Learn what causes turbulent tornadoes, receding glaciers and rampant wildfires.

“Cuba” – Journey to the heart of the Caribbean through the eyes of those exploring under the ocean’s surface and dancing in the streets of Havana.

“Fungi Web of Life” – The film unravels how plants and animals would not exist without mushrooms, molds, yeasts and toadstools.

“Secrets of the Sea” – From the smallest krill to the largest whales, explore how ocean ecosystems depend on biodiversity and a surprising level of animal cooperation.

“Stellar Tours: A Star is Born,” Wednesday-Sunday. Follow the life cycle of a star through this live digital telescope show.

Papa Roach and Rise Against, 7 p.m., Sunday, April 13. From $51.

Comedian Tom Segura, 7:30 p.m., Friday, April 18. From $51.

Portraits of Indigenous Authors and Artists, through June 30, at 3rd Floor Exhibit Gallery at the Minnesota State Capitol, 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Now featured is a collection of fine art photography by John Ratzloff. This project started when Ratzloff was invited to photograph the life and natural beauty of White Earth Nation. His photography honors the voices and legacies of Indigenous leaders, offering a unique visual narrative that celebrates their contributions to art, culture and advocacy. Open weekdays 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturdays 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Free.