Don’t miss this fabulous traveling exhibit featuring more than 130 large-scale Pulitzer Prize photographs. Through Jan. 16 at the History Center.

Celebrate history that literally houses people at the Open House Block Party. Join in these fun events as the “Open House: If These Walls Could Talk” exhibit premieres at the History Center on Jan. 14:

• Enjoy the rollicking music of some of St. Paul's most celebrated neighborhoods.
• Test your skills at street games like marbles, hopscotch and double-dutch jump rope.
• Reminisce with local storytellers as they weave tales of twilight tag games, bratty little brothers and vacations in the family car.
• Relish the special foods that make any block party complete.
• Help make a giant neighborhood mural and create a treasure chest for your own family stories!

• Meet the Queen of the Snows candidates at the Ramsey House on Jan. 15. You can also enjoy a Ramsey House tour focusing on winter life in Victorian-era St. Paul. Purchase tickets at 651-296-8760 or in the Ramsey House gift shop.
• On Jan. 28 at the James J. Hill House, Winter Carnival history will be part of special 75-minute tours focusing on how the Hill family and friends dressed for winter, their involvement with the Carnival, and how they celebrated and enjoyed the season.
• Send a Winter Carnival e-card!
• Purchase historic Winter Carnival items online.

• On Jan. 21, head to the James J. Hill House to see 20 large-scale photographs exploring the industrial and sculptural beauty of the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge. Artifacts relating to the bridge will also be on display.

• Plan a trip to the History Center for the Feb. 3 grand opening of “Seth Eastman: Artist on the Frontier.” This exhibit will feature more than 60 watercolors, oil paintings and sketches by this acclaimed American artist – most completed between 1840 and 1848 – and is one of the largest presentations of Eastman works ever assembled.

On Mon., March 13, history fans from across the state will gather for the second annual History Matters Day at the State Capitol. Join us for costumed characters, history program displays and an Information Fair between 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., and show your support for history during the noontime rally in the historic Capitol Rotunda.

Urge your legislators to support the Minnesota Historical Society’s Capital Budget Request for preservation of historic buildings, and revitalization of Historic Fort Snelling.

Watch for more details in upcoming e-newsletters, and learn more online. See you at the Capitol!

On Feb. 2, head to Mill City Museum for a free presentation on neighborhood archaeology. In July 2005, archaeologists, students and community members gathered for five days to excavate a vacant lot in downtown Minneapolis. This endeavor gave local residents a chance to help uncover the hidden history of their neighborhood. See the preliminary results of the excavations and portions of a video shot on-site during the dig.

“A fish for every child, even when the kids are in their pajamas,” observes Benjamin Filene, senior developer of the ‘Open House: If These Walls Could Talk’ exhibit at the History Center (opens Jan. 14). Filene continues, “Here, fun-loving Dick and Angie Krismer created their own history – they raised four children, including twins, in a cramped triplex unit at 472 Hopkins Street during the 1960s. They knew just when to bring out the fish and the camera.”

The ‘Open House’ exhibit takes an intimate look at the everyday life – over the course of a century – of the Krismers and other residents in an ordinary house in St. Paul. Browse more than 117,000 other photos that tell Minnesota stories. Browse more than 117,000 additional historic images.

Now is the perfect time to:

• Head to the Jeffers Petroglyphs’s Homeschool Geology Day on Jan. 17. Homeschool families can learn about Minnesota geology and the rock cycle, view rocks, minerals, and fossils, and break their own geode.
  
• Experience Winter on the Farm at the Oliver H. Kelley Farm on Jan. 22. Hike the nature trails to the farmstead and meet oxen, cows, pigs, sheep and horses. Help with farm chores then head back to the Visitor Center for hot cider and cocoa.
  
• Attend a Winter Frolic at the North West Company Fur Post on Jan. 22. This fun family event features snow games, snowshoeing, dogsled rides and hot cocoa by the fireplace!
  
• Plan ahead to join the Society for a luncheon in Naples, Florida on Feb. 4. Perfect for anyone wintering down south! Call 651-297-8285 for details.

Learn how proper Victorian families dealt with depression and mental illness, birth control and childbirth. Learn how restrictive clothing – worn in order to give Victorian ladies the suitable appearance – caused health issues. Tours are for adults only, and start at 6:15 or 7:30. Jan. 12 at the Ramsey House.

See the ReelMN story of Mee Moua’s remarkable first campaign for the Minnesota Senate. An accomplished attorney and community advocate when she ran in 2002, Moua still faced an uphill battle to win the Democratic primary. The result was a massive mobilization of new voters and her triumph as the first Hmong-American elected official in America. Jan. 29, at 2 p.m. at the History Center.

Highly Fashionable History

This recent acquisition, “Midnight,” was a highlight at the Minneapolis-based Textile Center’s Artwear in Motion, RetroFlexion runway show in 2005.

Artifacts from the Society’s collections often serve as inspiration for contemporary design in Minnesota. Here, artist Candy Kuehn took her inspiration from historic costume colors and materials from the elaborate draping of the mid-19th century and the mix of textured fabrics often seen in the early 20th century.

The Society’s collection is building for the future by adding the work of contemporary Minnesota artists from several venues every year.