Collections at Historic Sites

The Minnesota Historical Society currently maintains collections of almost 40,000 individual artifacts at 23 historic sites throughout the state. As part of the Society's larger collection of artifacts, these objects are documented and managed by the Collections Department. Spanning more than 7,000 years, these resources include tools, clothing, furnishings, written records, and images testifying to the variety of human cultures and stories of the region. The objects continue to be researched and cared for in order to further the understanding and interpretation of the places, the people, and the lifestyles they represent.

Examples of artifact collections at historic sites include Victorian collections at the Comstock and Alexander Ramsey Houses, contemporary and historic Ojibwe cultural artifacts at the Mille Lacs Indian Museum, the tools of 19th-century farming at the Oliver H. Kelley Farm, and the everyday objects of a turn-of-the-century store at Historic Forestville.

For more information about collections housed at historic sites check out the Historic Sites page.

Searching the Collections
Collections at historic sites are available for further research by submiting an Access to Collections form to the Collections Department at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul and/or the Site Manager for that particular site. Contact the Collections Department at (651) 296-9984, the historic site, directly, or address e-mail to collections@mnhs.org.

How to Donate
Donating items to the Society's collections.