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Alexander Ramsey House
Candlelight Christmas Tours
Experience the bluer side of Christmas as we discuss the melancholy feelings that accompany the season.
James J. Hill House
Holidays on the Hill
Experience Christmas, 1910—both upstairs and downstairs—in the sumptuous Gilded Age mansion of railroad titan James J. Hill.
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The 2024/2025 History Forum
Dive into American history with the nation’s top scholars.
Split Rock Lighthouse
Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Beacon Lighting
Join us as we livestream our Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Beacon Lighting event!
Minnesota History Center
Girlhood (It's complicated)
See how girls have spoken up, challenged expectations, and been on the front lines of social change throughout US history.
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Listen and learn
Journey into our state’s past with the new podcast from the Minnesota Historical Society.
Welcome to the Minnesota Historical Society
History shapes, inspires, and informs the present. We strive to bring forward, share, and preserve the diverse histories that make up Minnesota’s complex past. Experience Minnesota history through our network of historic sites, museums, and exhibitions, our extensive collections and research, and our thought-provoking educational programming. Join us! Cultivate your curiosity and experience powerful engagements with history today.
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Collections, stories, and more
Collections online
Search for photographs, three-dimensional and archaeological objects, artwork, oral histories, moving images, maps, and more.
Research your family history
Use our online resources and the Gale Family Library to research your past and understand the life we share today. Search our extensive database of birth and death certificates and the State Archives.
MNopedia
Flooding in Carver County, 1965
In April 1965, the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers crested at record levels, flooding cities and towns across the Upper Midwest. The disaster was especially evident in Chaska and Carver, where the Minnesota River reached its highest-recorded local level on April 12.
MNHS Press
Record executive, producer, band manager, club DJ, booking advisor, record store manager—few people had as deep an impact on the Twin Cities alternative and indie rock scene as Peter Jesperson.
State Emblems Redesign Commission
Learn about the recently-adopted designs for a new state flag and state seal, which will go into effect on May 11, 2024. As outlined in state legislation, the Minnesota Historical Society provided administrative support to the State Emblems Redesign Commission.
26 locations
Unlimited history
MNHS historic sites and museums offer unique insights into Minnesota’s past and present.
Come explore the lives of lumberjacks, learn how Indigenous knowledge has shaped our history, step into the world of famous Minnesotans, or take in spectacular views!
Become a member
MNHS membership is the best way to create your very own historic adventure. Members get the best deal in history with free general admission and discounts on events, purchases, and more at our historic sites and museums for a full year.