Welcome to the Bell Museum’s
Gopher Nature Academy info page

While you cheer on the University of Minnesota’s football team, your kids can enjoy a special game-time camp just blocks away at Bell Museum’s Gopher Nature Academy. Each week, camp goers ages 6 to 12, will learn new crafts, watch an animal movie while munching on pizza, tour kid-friendly museum exhibits, and learn about a different animal each week through games and structured age-appropriate play.  More fun than a baby sitter, little boosters will learn about the real Goldy Gopher, as well as get the scoop on Goldy’s athletic rivals including the falcons, badgers, jackrabbits and bears.

Gopher Nature Academy and Golden Gopher Home Football Games
Teams and Themes Schedule
Click here for complete Golden Gopher game schedule.

Gopher Nature Academy is open to all children
whether or not their parents attend Golden Gopher home football games

Single game package      $35 per child per game
Three game package:      $90 per child; $60 per each additional child under the same registration.
Camps will fill on a first-come, first-served basis.
Call 612-624-9050 to register.

Registration
Pre-registration and payment is required one week prior to game day.
If you cancel prior to registration deadline (one week in advance of game), you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel after the registration deadline, you will be charged $20 per program, per child.

Each registrant must complete a Participant Emergency Data (PED) sheet included in the confirmation letter.

Drop-off and Pick-up
Drop-off starts one hour before kick-off of the game.

Pick-up ends one hour after the game concludes (overtime included in game time). There’s an automatic late charge of $5 per every five minutes late for each child.

Drop-off and pick-up take place in the museum’s auditorium lobby.  For security reasons, you must have a photo ID to sign-in and sign-out your child.

Please report to the camp director’s office in room 303 for early pickup or late drop-off.

Parking
Due to the large amount of traffic during University of Minnesota football games, there is no parking in front of the museum while dropping off or picking up your child. Please click here to view map.

Allergies, Medications, Dietary Restrictions
If your child has a medical condition for which s/he must carry emergency medication (e.g., asthma inhalers, EpiPen epinephrine injectors), a peanut allergy or other severe allergy, or has dietary restrictions, please inform registration staff as soon as possible so we can make accommodations.  Food will be supplied to children during the program.

Behavior Policy
In order to make the program experience a positive one for all, we have established a policy to manage behavior incidents that involve chronic disruption and/or safety. We reserve the right to remove students who do not adhere to our behavior policy.

For more information contact
the museum’s registration office at 612-624-9050.

The Bell Museum is located on the southwest corner of University and 17th Avenues, at 10 Church St. S.E. on the university's Minneapolis campus. For details, visit www.bellmuseum.org.