Magpie — the museum lab · An exhibition of working prototypes · Twin Cities, MN

What if the whole museum could talk back?

Five working experiments in AI for cultural institutions — one for every stage of a visit, from the first question on your website to the memento that goes home. Red dots are live right now. Pick a stop on the route below.

Stop 1 — Before the visit

Docent

A front desk that never closes.

Stop 1 of 5
Conversational AI concierge · web widget & dashboard · 2026 On view

Small institutions answer the same fifty questions forever — hours, parking, bus loops, chaperone ratios, mansion rentals. Docent answers instantly from your institution's own knowledge, around the clock, and turns every school-trip and event inquiry into one organized request in a staff dashboard.

Try asking Ada, the Bakken's concierge
  • I want to bring 60 fourth-graders in May — where do buses park?”
  • Can I get married at the mansion?”
  • Is the museum wheelchair accessible?”
Not yet on view

The Study Collection

Every concept in the drawer connects to something already running. Tap a node — the lines show how the next prototype grows out of the last one. If one of these is your nightmare (or your dream), say so.

Pick a star.

Tap any node above to see what it is and what it grows from.