Thank you for participating in our public input process around the name of Historic Fort Snelling. Between August 21 and November 15, 2019, nearly 7,300 people — from across Minnesota and beyond — shared their thoughts on what the 23-acre historic site should be called. The survey is now closed.
The Minnesota Historical Society asked for input on the name of the site in light of ongoing revitalization efforts and the expanded stories of history being shared there. These include expanded stories of soldiers, veterans and their families, enslaved and free African Americans, Japanese Americans, and Native Americans who have lived in the area for 10,000 years.
The name of the restored 1820s fort structure — which sits on about 4 acres of the property — will remain Fort Snelling.
A task force, chaired by MNHS governing board past president Phyllis Goff, is analyzing survey responses alongside feedback from public meetings held across the state. In addition, the task force will incorporate other considerations into a report, including MNHS’s mission, vision and values; strategic priorities; the vision for the historic site’s revitalization; visitor survey data and input from stakeholder groups, and present their findings to the MNHS governing board. If the board recommends a name change, it will be submitted to the Minnesota State Legislature, which has final authority over name changes for properties in the state’s historic sites network.
