Partner Highlight: Space Fest 2026 at the Bell Museum, University of Minnesota

Ethan Kruszka, Exhibits and Gallery Programs Manager, Bell Museum
Space Fest 2026 logo reads "Love Letter to Earth, Bell Museum" and included illustrated topography in the shape of a heart.

The Bell Museum hosted Space Fest: Love Letter to Earth, February 13-15, 2026 - an Earth and space science celebration. We invited visitors to take a look at what makes Earth so special, and how we can be good stewards of our special planet. Throughout the weekend, there were hosted talks, hands-on activities, scientists, researchers, and an astronaut at the museum!

 

 

An adult kneels next to a child while, both are standing in front of a photo backdrop with a large Moon and other celestial objects and colors.
Meet-and-greet with NASA astronaut, Robert Cabana. Photo Credit: Bell Museum

Space Fest kicked off on Friday night with a Star Party. Outside, we had our telescopes set up so that those who braved the winter cold could observe their favorite deep space objects. Inside, there were hands-on activities to explore and our expert astronomy team highlighted cosmic sights in our planetarium. 

Saturday featured many exciting experiences including a talk and meet-and-greet with former NASA astronaut Robert Cabana. On Sunday, local micrometeorite expert Scott Peterson presented a talk on urban micrometeorites, where to find them and how to identify them.

 

Two children stand at a table where an adults sits opposite engaging them in a tabletop STEM activity.
The NISE Network's Exploring Earth: Rising Sea activity. Photo Credit: Bell Museum
Two children stand at a table in a very dark space. There is a single light on the table, we can see some materials across the table and an adult hand holding a temperature gun aimed at some soil in a plastic container.
The NISE Network's Exploring Earth: Temperature Mapping activity. Photo Credit: Bell Museum

 

Other highlights from the weekend included tabling events with Solar System Ambassadors, demonstrations, and lots of NISE Network Earth & Space toolkit activities! 

 

A child stands next to a table looking through some type of microscope. There are adults and other children standing around him who are also looking at images displayed around the table that look like enlarged microscope picture.
Photo Credit: Bell Museum
Two adults stand with two young children, one is doing an tabletop activity with one youth while the other watches while holding the other youth.
Photo Credit: Bell Museum

Space Fest is not the only big news to come out of The Bell Museum recently. Here are just a few highlights from the past year:

An adult holds an infant so they can feeling different textures on a wall that appear to be made from paper, tissue and other assorted crafting supplies.
Photo Credit: Bell Museum
Glass window with a round logo that reads "Solutions Studio, Bell Museum" and has a small illustrated nature scene with a squirrel, tree, sun and butterfly.
Photo Credit: Bell Museum
An individual holds up an insect coloring sheet folded in half to a mirror on the wall to create a full image of the insect.
Photo Credit: Bell Museum

 

 

 

 

 

 

An adult kneels by a child at a table, on the table is a rainbow colored model of a human brain. The child is wearing a paper version of this rainbow brain on their head.
Photo Credit: Bell Museum

 

 

 

A wooden swing-like structure with a rainbow fabric roof, there is a small table with two seats right across from each other.
Photo Credit: Bell Museum
A wood tabletop with engraved with the words across the top reads "20 Questions that lead to loving the planet."
Photo Credit: Bell Museum
  • The Bell hosted Face to Face, a public art installation designed to spark meaningful reflection about our relationship with the Earth. Face to Face consists of a hand-built wooden swing with two seats facing one another and a curated set of “20 Questions that Lead to Loving the Planet” engraved on a table between the seats. These questions gently guide participants into deeper dialogue, whether with each other or within themselves.

 

 

 

A large group of individuals stands across a large staircase while smiling for a group photo.
Photo Credit: Bell Museum