Science Museum Of Minnesota Cutting 43 Jobs In Major Restructuring: 'Tremendously Difficult'

ST. PAUL, MN — The Science Museum of Minnesota is eliminating 43 full-time positions and reducing its annual operating budget by $7 million as part of a sweeping restructuring plan aimed at keeping the 120-year-old institution financially sustainable.

In a statement posted Wednesday, museum officials said attendance has dropped significantly since the pandemic, mirroring national trends at cultural institutions.

Shifts in consumer behavior, including a 60 percent increase in preference for home-based entertainment since 2021, have made it harder to attract visitors, officials said.

"We’re not alone in facing these challenges," President and CEO Alison Brown said. "Museums nationwide are experiencing unprecedented change, and successful institutions are those who adapt thoughtfully and decisively."

The Science Museum also cited a drop in federal, state, and local funding, a sharp decline in traveling exhibit sales, and the growing costs of maintaining an aging facility as factors driving the restructuring.

The new plan reduces the museum’s operating budget from $38 million to $31 million and eliminates 13 percent of its workforce. Museum divisions will be consolidated under three newly structured departments, with total salary savings estimated at $3.1 million.

Officials said the cuts were made in line with the museum’s collective bargaining agreement with AFSCME-represented staff.

"It is a tremendously difficult decision to reorganize roles and to eliminate staff," Brown said.

"Everyone is extremely talented and contributes meaningfully to our mission. We chose to act decisively now rather than wait and be forced into more drastic measures later."

Despite the cuts, museum leaders emphasized that the core mission of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education will continue.

The Science Museum plans to maintain its exhibits, research collections, and programming for Minnesota schools and communities.

"This is ultimately about transformation and opportunity," Brown said. "We’re positioning ourselves to not just survive, but to thrive and better serve our community’s evolving needs."