Events

Saturday, August 12

Draft Horse Driving Experience

Join us for an amazing experience offered for the first time at Historic Forestville. Doubletree Carriage Company and Historic Forestville have teamed up to provide a lost arts skills class: driving draft horses.

This is an active participant class and you will get to groom the horses, harness the horses, learn the basic driving commands by doing some ground driving and then handle the lines from the driver’s wagon seat if you pass the ground driving portion (we will help you get there!). Experienced teamsters will be with you to guide and assist every step of the way while you learn to drive draft horses in this very special experience.

Dress for the weather with well fitted clothing that is okay to get dirty (preferably no skirts), closed toe and closed heel shoes are required (boots recommended, no sandals), and bring well fitted work gloves and a water bottle. Class will be held rain or shine.

Age restriction is 10 years and older and must be able to follow instructions. All minors must be accompanied by a paying adult/guardian.

You may attend this class even if you don’t have any horse experience and are willing to learn, we are willing to share these magnificent draft horses with you!

Includes a sack lunch, light snacks, and refreshments. Please let us know any dietary restrictions.

Check in at the Historic Forestville visitor center between 9 and 9:30 am.

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Historic Forestville, Preston
  • Classes & Workshops

Minneapolis Riverfront Walking Tour

Walk the Minneapolis riverfront and learn about its dramatic past. On this tour, participants will visit the historic district at St. Anthony Falls, which was once the milling center of the world and is now a growing cultural, recreational, and residential neighborhood.

Your guide will share stories of the people who have lived and worked along the riverfront and how it has changed over the years. Participants will see how the neighborhood has evolved over the years, and will learn about the riverfront renaissance over the last forty years through historic preservation and new development.

Highlights of the outdoor tour include the National Historic Engineering Landmark Stone Arch Bridge, and St. Anthony Falls, the only significant waterfall on the Mississippi River.

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Mill City Museum, Minneapolis
  • Tours

Mississippi River Paddling Adventures

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.

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Forest History Center, Grand Rapids
  • Tours

Summit Avenue Walking Tour

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.

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James J. Hill House, St. Paul
  • Tours

Mississippi River Paddling Adventures

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.

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Forest History Center, Grand Rapids
  • Tours

Plant a Traditional Native American Garden

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.

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Jeffers Petroglyphs, Comfrey
  • Native American

Summit Avenue Walking Tour

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.

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James J. Hill House, St. Paul
  • Tours

Sunday, August 13

Summit Avenue Walking Tour

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.

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James J. Hill House, St. Paul
  • Tours

Summit Avenue Walking Tour

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.

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James J. Hill House, St. Paul
  • Tours

Wednesday, August 16

Mississippi River Paddling Adventures

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.

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Forest History Center, Grand Rapids
  • Tours

Mississippi River Paddling Adventures

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.

-
Forest History Center, Grand Rapids
  • Tours

Thursday, August 17

Mississippi River Paddling Adventures

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.

-
Forest History Center, Grand Rapids
  • Tours

Mississippi River Paddling Adventures

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.

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Forest History Center, Grand Rapids
  • Tours

Hearth & Home Tour

Join us as we explore how and where soldiers and their families, enslaved and free servants, and officers lived in the early years of Fort Snelling and hear some of the stories of people who resided at the fort. 

We'll take an in-depth look at the Commandant's House and its early 1800s "modern technology." 

You'll also get a glimpse into some behind the scenes work that gives insight into presenting programs such as hearth cooking.

This program will be held rain or shine. Please make sure to wear appropriate clothing and footwear for walking outside. Walking distance is approximately ¾ mile. Ages 8 and up.

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Historic Fort Snelling, Saint Paul
  • Tours

Friday, August 18

Mississippi River Paddling Adventures

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.

-
Forest History Center, Grand Rapids
  • Tours

Mississippi River Paddling Adventures

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.

-
Forest History Center, Grand Rapids
  • Tours

Saturday, August 19

Sunrise Tour

Take an expert-lead guided tour of the petroglyphs/rock carvings that are thought to be some of the oldest in the Midwest. 

You will get the rare chance to go beyond the ropes and view carvings under their most favorable viewing conditions–up close and in the morning sun. 

The tour will be accompanied by a discussion of the archaeology of the earliest people of the Midwest and the climatic and environmental conditions they would have faced. Plan to arrive at least 10 minutes earlier than the event start time. The tour will start promptly at 9:15 am.

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Jeffers Petroglyphs, Comfrey
  • Native American
  • Tours

Mississippi River Paddling Adventures

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.

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Forest History Center, Grand Rapids
  • Tours

Courtyard Family Day: Mill Workers

History and fun come together in a day of family activities in the museum’s open-air Ruin Courtyard.

Try your hand at moving flour sacks, see workers' equipment used in flour mills, play "figure this out," an artifact game, and make a craft to take home.

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Mill City Museum, Minneapolis
  • Family

Summit Avenue Walking Tour

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.

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James J. Hill House, St. Paul
  • Tours

Mississippi River Paddling Adventures

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.

-
Forest History Center, Grand Rapids
  • Tours

Summit Avenue Walking Tour

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.

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James J. Hill House, St. Paul
  • Tours

Sunday, August 20

Historic Main Street Walking Tour

Discover the stories of Minneapolis’s oldest neighborhood with a Mill City Museum guide, who will highlight the rich diversity of the 1850s town of St. Anthony, which was a crossroads for many peoples including Dakota, Ojibwe, white Yankees, Métis, African Americans, southern tourists, and immigrants. 

Learn about the social history of the community, the industries that grew along the river, and the immense changes along Main Street throughout the years.

This tour will begin and end at the A-Mill Artist Lofts on 3rd Ave. SE at Main Street. The tour includes about one mile of moderately-paced walking on uneven surfaces.

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3rd Ave. SE at Main Street (around the corner from A Mill Artist Lofts main entrance)
  • Tours

Summit Avenue Walking Tour

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.

-
James J. Hill House, St. Paul
  • Tours

Summit Avenue Walking Tour

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.

-
James J. Hill House, St. Paul
  • Tours