Events

Join us for a workshop focused on building an understanding that Minnesota shares borders with four Dakota and seven Ojibwe nations who are oftentimes overlooked or underrepresented in non-Native spaces. 

This training is intended to support the work of history organizations across the state. 

Participants will leave the session with a better understanding of how to talk about Native Nations in Minnesota.

Join us for a workshop focused on building an understanding that Minnesota shares borders with four Dakota and seven Ojibwe nations who are oftentimes overlooked or underrepresented in non-Native spaces. 

This training is intended to support the work of history organizations across the state. 

Participants will leave the session with a better understanding of how to talk about Native Nations in Minnesota.

“Photography and Art at the Rock,” a rotating monthly exhibit in the lobby of the visitor center at Split Rock Lighthouse, showcases landscape and wildlife photographers and artists of the area. 

Our featured artist for the month of June is MaryBeth Kiczenski.

Meet MaryBeth and talk with her about her work and approach. Her photos will be on display at the visitor center from June 1 through June 30.

About MaryBeth Kiczenski
For the past decade, Marybeth has crisscrossed the country working for auto shows. This unique job allowed her to share her love for cars and landscape photography.

She enjoys finding the "little scenes." A bulk of her work features wide and low angle scenes, giving an up and close view of a smaller setting within a larger one. She is also a nightscape fanatic and uses a variety of tools to bring out the detail that can be hidden in the the night sky.

As an automotive enthusiast, outside of work she enjoys racing her 1995 Eagle Talon TSI AWD. This car she built taught her invaluable lessons in patience and perseverance. These traits are helpful when waiting all night for that elusive aurora borealis to show.

She has a degree in Creative Studies in Animation and Digital Media, but she found that photography is where her heart belongs with astrophotography being her absolute favorite.

Celebrate the opening of Going Out, Coming In: LGBTQ+ Spaces in Downtown Minneapolis. The exhibit details queer resistance, love, and identity formation amid the evolution of downtown through the 20th century.

The exhibit features sites where queer people found or created community while addressing the systemic challenges of legal and extralegal discrimination, urban renewal, and HIV/AIDS. It is part of an ongoing partnership between Twin Cities Pride and the Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS). It is inspired by the Twin Cities LGBTQ+ History Tours developed by TC Pride and MNHS in 2022.

A cash bar will be available and free appetizers. Musical experience will be curated by DJ Michel.Be. The event and exhibit will be located in the museum’s central Mill Commons, and the exhibit is free and open to the public during regular museum hours through October 8, 2023. The opening event is free but please register.

“Photography and Art at the Rock,” a rotating monthly exhibit in the lobby of the visitor center at Split Rock Lighthouse, showcases landscape and wildlife photographers and artists of the area. 

Our featured artist for the month of June is MaryBeth Kiczenski.

Meet MaryBeth and talk with her about her work and approach. Her photos will be on display at the visitor center from June 1 through June 30.

About MaryBeth Kiczenski
For the past decade, Marybeth has crisscrossed the country working for auto shows. This unique job allowed her to share her love for cars and landscape photography.

She enjoys finding the "little scenes." A bulk of her work features wide and low angle scenes, giving an up and close view of a smaller setting within a larger one. She is also a nightscape fanatic and uses a variety of tools to bring out the detail that can be hidden in the the night sky.

As an automotive enthusiast, outside of work she enjoys racing her 1995 Eagle Talon TSI AWD. This car she built taught her invaluable lessons in patience and perseverance. These traits are helpful when waiting all night for that elusive aurora borealis to show.

She has a degree in Creative Studies in Animation and Digital Media, but she found that photography is where her heart belongs with astrophotography being her absolute favorite.

Join us for a day of family fun, sponsored by Paul Bunyan Communications and supported by Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital and Ardent Bike!

There's so much to do:

• Drawings for two $200 bike vouchers, redeemable at Ace Hardware
• Youth helmet giveaways
• Bike Fleet available to use free bikes for the day
• Ardent Bicycles will be on hand to adjust your bike
• Bike rodeo course for youth
• Easy group rides to explore our trails
• Food trucks Bobcat’s Lunchbox Rolling Cones, and Heroes Rise available for delicious food, ice cream, and coffee

Enjoy free admission. All ages are welcome.

“Photography and Art at the Rock,” a rotating monthly exhibit in the lobby of the visitor center at Split Rock Lighthouse, showcases landscape and wildlife photographers and artists of the area. 

Our featured artist for the month of June is MaryBeth Kiczenski.

Meet MaryBeth and talk with her about her work and approach. Her photos will be on display at the visitor center from June 1 through June 30.

About MaryBeth Kiczenski
For the past decade, Marybeth has crisscrossed the country working for auto shows. This unique job allowed her to share her love for cars and landscape photography.

She enjoys finding the "little scenes." A bulk of her work features wide and low angle scenes, giving an up and close view of a smaller setting within a larger one. She is also a nightscape fanatic and uses a variety of tools to bring out the detail that can be hidden in the the night sky.

As an automotive enthusiast, outside of work she enjoys racing her 1995 Eagle Talon TSI AWD. This car she built taught her invaluable lessons in patience and perseverance. These traits are helpful when waiting all night for that elusive aurora borealis to show.

She has a degree in Creative Studies in Animation and Digital Media, but she found that photography is where her heart belongs with astrophotography being her absolute favorite.

Take a 90-minute walking tour of the Summit Avenue neighborhood, highlighting the Gilded Age mansions lining the elite avenue and the people who owned and built them. Guides will talk about the architecture, social history, and current preservation issues of this historic neighborhood.

The tour starts at the James J. Hill House and covers 1.5 miles. All areas are accessible for those with mobility concerns, but some side streets are cobblestone and have historic stone curbs. Tours do not include home interiors.

Get tickets

Have you ever wanted to learn to shoot a bow and arrow? Let certified archery instructors on staff at Mille Lacs Indian Museum teach you how!

You don't have to have any prior experience with archery to participate. Please wear comfortable clothing and closed-toe shoes.

Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Take part in planting beans, corn, and squash—known as the three sisters because they are frequently grown together in the same mound. This practice provides long-term soil fertility and helps the plants to thrive.

Guests will mound soil and plant seeds while learning about the archeology and the ethnohistoric background of the early horticultural and agricultural people of the Upper Midwest and prairies.

In the event of rain, the event will be cancelled.

Take a 90-minute walking tour of the Summit Avenue neighborhood, highlighting the Gilded Age mansions lining the elite avenue and the people who owned and built them. Guides will talk about the architecture, social history, and current preservation issues of this historic neighborhood.

The tour starts at the James J. Hill House and covers 1.5 miles. All areas are accessible for those with mobility concerns, but some side streets are cobblestone and have historic stone curbs. Tours do not include home interiors.

Get tickets

Take a 90-minute walking tour of the Summit Avenue neighborhood, highlighting the Gilded Age mansions lining the elite avenue and the people who owned and built them. Guides will talk about the architecture, social history, and current preservation issues of this historic neighborhood.

The tour starts at the James J. Hill House and covers 1.5 miles. All areas are accessible for those with mobility concerns, but some side streets are cobblestone and have historic stone curbs. Tours do not include home interiors.

Get tickets

Take a 90-minute walking tour of the Summit Avenue neighborhood, highlighting the Gilded Age mansions lining the elite avenue and the people who owned and built them. Guides will talk about the architecture, social history, and current preservation issues of this historic neighborhood.

The tour starts at the James J. Hill House and covers 1.5 miles. All areas are accessible for those with mobility concerns, but some side streets are cobblestone and have historic stone curbs. Tours do not include home interiors.

Get tickets

Join Forest History Center staff on a kayak adventure exploring the natural history of the Mississippi River. We'll be on the lookout for beaver, birds, bugs, bulrushes and so much more.

Learn how the river has impacted our landscape and our history. Come get your feet wet and have some fun on a guided tour of our little stretch of the mighty Mississippi.

Must be 10 years of age or older to participate. Those 17 years old and under must be accompanied by an adult. Admission to Forest History Center not included.

There are two tandem kayaks available and six single kayaks available for each tour.

Join Forest History Center staff on a kayak adventure exploring the natural history of the Mississippi River. We'll be on the lookout for beaver, birds, bugs, bulrushes and so much more.

Learn how the river has impacted our landscape and our history. Come get your feet wet and have some fun on a guided tour of our little stretch of the mighty Mississippi.

Must be 10 years of age or older to participate. Those 17 years old and under must be accompanied by an adult. Admission to Forest History Center not included.

There are two tandem kayaks available and six single kayaks available for each tour.

Join Forest History Center staff on a kayak adventure exploring the natural history of the Mississippi River. We'll be on the lookout for beaver, birds, bugs, bulrushes and so much more.

Learn how the river has impacted our landscape and our history. Come get your feet wet and have some fun on a guided tour of our little stretch of the mighty Mississippi.

Must be 10 years of age or older to participate. Those 17 years old and under must be accompanied by an adult. Admission to Forest History Center not included.

There are two tandem kayaks available and six single kayaks available for each tour.

Join Forest History Center staff on a kayak adventure exploring the natural history of the Mississippi River. We'll be on the lookout for beaver, birds, bugs, bulrushes and so much more.

Learn how the river has impacted our landscape and our history. Come get your feet wet and have some fun on a guided tour of our little stretch of the mighty Mississippi.

Must be 10 years of age or older to participate. Those 17 years old and under must be accompanied by an adult. Admission to Forest History Center not included.

There are two tandem kayaks available and six single kayaks available for each tour.

Bring your bike to Historic Fort Snelling and join our staff as we take a bike tour inside the walls of the historic fort and will then explore the nearby Upper Post where soldiers were stationed during the 20th century and is now part of the new Upper Post Flats community. 

This tour will make numerous stops along the way as we share stories from Fort Snelling’s past.

Recommended for ages 12 and up if riding a bike. Ages 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult

Participants must be able to get on/off a bicycle independently, follow instructions, and stay with the group tour. Helmets are mandatory.

If we need to cancel due to weather conditions, there will be a full refund or the opportunity to reschedule.

Please make sure to wear appropriate clothing and footwear for biking, and bring sun protection.

E-bikes permitted but no other motorized vehicles allowed.

Tour starts beside the Plank Museum and Visitor Center.

Duration of tour: 1 1/2 hours; 3 miles.

Get tickets

Join Forest History Center staff on a kayak adventure exploring the natural history of the Mississippi River. We'll be on the lookout for beaver, birds, bugs, bulrushes and so much more.

Learn how the river has impacted our landscape and our history. Come get your feet wet and have some fun on a guided tour of our little stretch of the mighty Mississippi.

Must be 10 years of age or older to participate. Those 17 years old and under must be accompanied by an adult. Admission to Forest History Center not included.

There are two tandem kayaks available and six single kayaks available for each tour.

Join Forest History Center staff on a kayak adventure exploring the natural history of the Mississippi River. We'll be on the lookout for beaver, birds, bugs, bulrushes and so much more.

Learn how the river has impacted our landscape and our history. Come get your feet wet and have some fun on a guided tour of our little stretch of the mighty Mississippi.

Must be 10 years of age or older to participate. Those 17 years old and under must be accompanied by an adult. Admission to Forest History Center not included.

There are two tandem kayaks available and six single kayaks available for each tour.

Uncover the stories of the neighborhood that powered St. Paul’s rise from humble outpost to thriving metropolis. 

Learn about the many ups and downs of this historic neighborhood, from its early days as a transportation hub to its current life as a thriving urban village. 

See the best of old and new and hear about the diverse people who have built and revitalized the capital city over generations.

This tour, departing from Culture Park, is approximately 2 hours long and includes moderate-paced walking over 1.5 miles of city streets.

Get tickets

Join Forest History Center staff on a kayak adventure exploring the natural history of the Mississippi River. We'll be on the lookout for beaver, birds, bugs, bulrushes and so much more.

Learn how the river has impacted our landscape and our history. Come get your feet wet and have some fun on a guided tour of our little stretch of the mighty Mississippi.

Must be 10 years of age or older to participate. Those 17 years old and under must be accompanied by an adult. Admission to Forest History Center not included.

There are two tandem kayaks available and six single kayaks available for each tour.

Join the Minnesota Historical Society at the Hosmer Library for a storytime featuring Nana and Abuela, by Monica Rojas. Monica will be joined by the book’s illustrator, Emiko Rainbow. The storytime reading will be followed by a book signing and coloring art activity.

In Nana and Abuela, as Luna and her grandmothers embark on a fun evening of food and stories and laughter, a language kerfuffle threatens to spoil their time together. Monica Rojas recounts a story from her own childhood, while Emiko Rainbow's playful artistry brings Luna's world to vibrant life. This bilingual story about love and listening celebrates relationships and communication—and what young and old alike can learn from spending time with our favorite people.

Tour the legislative chambers and historic spaces and corridors of the Minnesota State Capitol, and view grand murals, paintings, sculptures and lavish decorations. 

Find out about the art and hear stories about the artists that painted them, and the importance of the muralist movement in America. 

Learn about the recent conservation work completed to bring the art back to its original appearance.

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Take a 90-minute walking tour of the Summit Avenue neighborhood, highlighting the Gilded Age mansions lining the elite avenue and the people who owned and built them. Guides will talk about the architecture, social history, and current preservation issues of this historic neighborhood.

The tour starts at the James J. Hill House and covers 1.5 miles. All areas are accessible for those with mobility concerns, but some side streets are cobblestone and have historic stone curbs. Tours do not include home interiors.

Get tickets