MNHS Grants Office and Local History Services staff assisted and were on hand as the Historic Resources Advisory Committee held its public meetings on September 17 and 18, 2026, in the 3M Auditorium at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul. The committee reviewed and discussed Fiscal Year 2027 Large Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant applications to form funding recommendations.
Applicants should submit a letter of interest and resume to carolyn.veeser-egbide@mnhs.org by Monday, October 12, 2026. Details are available on the MNHS HRAC Page.
State Capital Grant Program
This grant opportunity supports capital preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, building systems, and accessibility projects at publicly owned historic properties. Sites must be National Register-listed or determined eligible for listing by SHPO, and applicants must provide a 1:1 match. Pre-applications are due January 22, 2027. Learn more »
Small Grant Deadline
Applications for the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants quarterly small grant round (requests of $20,000 and less) will be due Friday, October 9, 2026. Contact the Grants Office with questions.
OCTOBER Grants Office Open House
October 1 - Online: The Grants Office will hold a virtual Grants Office Open House using Google Meet from 2 to 3:30 pm in order to provide additional grants support to our communities. We encourage people to RSVP to Gillian with a short summary of what you want to talk about and she will try to ensure that someone helpful will be available. Learn more »
Grants Office Webinar: Heritage Partnership Grants
September 24 @ 2 to 3 pm (CT) - Online: This webinar provides an overview of the Heritage Partnership Grant program, which supports collaborations between two or more Minnesota organizations working toward shared goals related to the state’s history.
Participants will learn how to develop a strong partnership proposal, identify a project’s desired outcomes, and navigate the program’s categories, including Partnership Development and Planning, Shared Resources, and other collaborative approaches. We will explore examples of successful projects and discuss ways partnerships can strengthen organizations’ operational, programmatic, financial, and organizational capacity.
The webinar will also cover the pre-application and application process, offer guidance on repurposing previously unfunded proposals, and explain what to expect when carrying out a funded partnership project. Presented by Grants Specialist John Fulton.
Join online: meet.google.com/zwx-krei-com
Join by phone: (US) +1 386-361-3086 PIN: 420 891 978#
Grants Office YouTube Playlist »
This week's blog post is from the 106 Group. Have a blog? Let us know!
Minneapolis African American Historical & Cultural Context
Introduction
The Minneapolis African American Historic and Cultural Context Study is the result of a citywide preservation and public history initiative documenting the presence and contributions of African Americans and people of African descent in Minneapolis from the early 1800s to the present. Led by the City of Minneapolis Department of Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED) and developed in partnership with 106 Group and community members, the study addresses a long-standing gap in the City's preservation framework by producing the most comprehensive context for understanding and evaluating historic properties linked to African American history.
Across Minneapolis, homes, churches, schools, businesses, theaters, and community centers reveal stories of the people who helped shape the city. For generations, African Americans have built communities, established businesses and institutions, advocated for civil rights, expanded educational opportunities, and transformed the cultural landscape of Minneapolis. Yet many of the places associated with these stories remain underrecognized within traditional preservation efforts. Continue Reading »
This week's post is from the Heritage Organization of Romanian Americans in Minnesota. Have a video channel or podcast? Let us know!
| Romanian Traditions Series: Romanian Inspired Poetry and Painting Victor is a talented artist and poet whose work translates rich Romanian heritage into a contemporary creative vision. This video is part of our Romanian Traditions Series, where we document Romanian traditions that our HORA members would like to share! Watch Video » |
Heritage Preservation YouTube Playlist »
Minnesota Historical Society's Job Announcement, Internship, Fellowship, and Volunteer Opportunity pages.
Interpreter I - James J. Hill House
Executive Director - Minnesota Transportation Museum, St. Paul, MN
Statewide Communication and Outreach Associate - Bell Museum, St. Paul, MN
Development Director - Hennepin History Museum, Minneapolis, MN
Handcraft Programs Coordinator - American Swedish Institute, Minneapolis, MN
Executive Assistant/Board Liaison - American Swedish Institute, Minneapolis, MN
Interpretive Exhibit and Design Team - Bill and Bonnie Daniels Firefighters Hall and Museum, Minneapolis, MN
Visitor Experience Associate - Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis, MN
Digital Asset Specialist - Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, WI
Workforce Culture and Strategic Support Specialist - Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, WI
Museum Aide - Dinosaur Discovery Museum, Kenosha, WI
Education Coordinator - Agricultural Heritage Museum, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD
Curator of Collections - Pick Museum of Anthropology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL
Chief Preparator - Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Cataloging & Archival Support Librarian - Indiana Historical Society, Indianapolis, IN
Content and Engagement Director - Indiana Historical Society, Indianapolis, IN
Collections Manager - Haan Museum of Indiana Art, Lafayette, IN
Visitor Operations Associate - Ohio History Center & Ohio Village, Columbus, OH
Assistant Curator - Broad Art Museum, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Development Coordinator - Great Lakes Children's Museum, Traverse City, MI
Collections Interpreter - Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Museum Curator History 2 - Ephrata Cloister, Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission, Ephrata, PA
Objects Collection Specialist - Library and Research Center, Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis, MO
Manager, IT Operations and Security - Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Winnipeg, MB
Chief Executive Officer - Heritage Park, Calgary, AB
Writer-Editor, Web and Exhibitions - Canadian Museum of Nature, Gatineau/Ottawa, ON
Additional Job Postings in the Field »
Cooks of the Wild Rice Lumber Co., ca. 1900–1920.
Image used with permission. From the collections of the Clearwater County Historical Society.
FAQ: How Can I Share My Event for the Local History News E-Newsletter?
“Living (and Fighting) in the Bishop’s New Colony: St. Eloi’s First Thirty Years” Program by Anita Gaul
September 29 @ 6:30 to 7:30 pm - Marshall: Lyon County Historical Society Museum - Historian Anita Gaul explores the conflict between Flemish and French-Canadian Catholics as they built Ghent’s St. Eloi parish, one of the western Minnesota Catholic colonies established by Bishop John Ireland between 1876 and 1883. Learn why the groups continued worshipping together despite their early tensions. Cost: Free. Learn more »
Coming Home Artists’ Reception
September 29 @ 5 to 7 pm - Willmar: Kandiyohi County Historical Society - Celebrate Coming Home, an exhibition featuring renowned woodcarver Fred Cogelow alongside works by area artists Jesse Garcia, Mary La Patka, Shalese Sands, and Ana Serrano. The exhibition is on view at the Cogelow Art Center from September 28 through October 30. Cost: Free. Learn more »
MN Court of Appeals: Meet the New Appellate Judiciary
September 29 @ 3 to 4:30 pm - St. Paul: Minnesota Supreme Court Historical Society - Meet Minnesota Court of Appeals Judges Lisa L. Beane and Anne M. Rasmusson as they discuss their legal backgrounds, paths to the appellate bench, judicial approaches, and more. Light refreshments will be served before or after the program at the Minnesota Judicial Center. Location: Minnesota Judicial Center, Room 230. Learn more »
Exhibit: From Hearth to Table: Romanian Culinary Traditions
Every Sunday in October @ 1 to 3 pm - St. Paul: Heritage Organization of Romanian Americans in Minnesota - Explore a family-friendly exhibit on Romanian foods, ingredients, regional specialties, seasonal celebrations, and culinary customs. Informative displays trace how everyday meals and holiday tables reflect Romania’s history, values, and cultural identity. Location: Landmark Center, Room 319. Cost: Free. Learn more »
Archive Explorer: Introduction to Searching and Research
October 1 @ 6 to 7 pm - St. Cloud: Stearns History Museum - Build your research skills in an interactive introductory program covering practical ways to search catalogs and online databases and use historical records to investigate the past. Designed for beginners and anyone interested in deeper historical research. Learn more »
Mayo Clinic Lecture Series: Maud Mellish Wilson: A Singular Voice
October 1 @ 7 to 8:30 pm - Rochester: History Center of Olmsted County - Join LeAnn Stee for a short film screening on Maud Mellish Wilson, the nurse and widow recruited by Dr. William J. Mayo in 1907 to establish Mayo Clinic’s library and editorial department. Learn how her editing of thousands of medical papers helped define Mayo Clinic’s institutional voice and build a world-class medical library. Cost: Free members; $5 general public. Learn more »
Afterlife Sentences with Twin Cities Paranormal Society
October 2 & 3 @ 6 to 8:30 pm - Stillwater: Washington County Historical Society - Learn what the Twin Cities Paranormal Society discovered during its late-night August 2026 investigation of the Warden’s House Museum. The local nonprofit paranormal-research group will share findings from its work documenting and educating the public about reported paranormal phenomena. Cost: $35. Learn more »
Shadows at the Crossing
October 2 & 3 @ 6:30 to 8 pm - St. Peter: Nicollet County Historical Society - Experience history brought to life on a guided walking tour of Traverse des Sioux, where local actors reenact the stories of the people who once lived in the historic community. Cost: $12. Learn more »
Terry Dilley Symposium – Forced Relocation of “Undesirables” During WWII
October 3 @ 10 to 11 am - Austin: Mower County Historical Society - Authors Kimberly E. Contag and James A. Grabowska examine the impact of the U.S. Enemy Control Act on a German-Ecuadorian family forcibly relocated to Nazi Germany during World War II. Their presentation draws on their 2004 historical book, Where the Clouds Meet the Water. Cost: Free. Learn more »
Storytelling from the Back Roads of Cook County
October 3 @ 2 to 4 pm - Grand Marais: Gunflint Trail Historical Society and Cook County Historical Society - Hear regional history and local lore from the Historical Alliance of Cook County, with presentations on Minnesota’s North Shore, Seagull Lake’s history, Lamb’s Resort, and Norwegian immigration to Tofte. Participating organizations include the Cook County, Gunflint Trail, Schroeder Area, and Tofte historical societies. Location: Arrowhead Center for the Arts. Cost: Free. Learn more »
Historic Spruce Hill Church Open House
October 3 @ 12 to 4 pm - Miltona: Douglas County Historical Society - Tour the historic Spruce Hill Church and see behind the scenes of its current restoration and repair work. Brad Lambrecht will perform live on the church’s historic reed organ from 1 to 2 pm. Location: Spruce Hill Church, located at 12553 Ottertail Trail NE. Cost: Free. Learn more »
Vietnam Combat Artist: “I Drew the War”
October 3 @ 10 to 11 am - Buffalo: Wright County Historical Society - Hear Carl Les Fordahl recount his service as a military draftsman, illustrator, and combat artist in Vietnam from 1967 to 1971, and see his personal artwork in the Community Art Space. Cost: Free. Learn more »
Storytelling from the Back Roads of Cook County
October 3 @ 2 to 4 pm - Grand Marais: Historical Alliance of Cook County - Hear regional history and local lore from presenters representing the Cook County, Gunflint Trail, Schroeder, and Tofte historical societies. Featured speakers include cultural landscape historian Arnold R. Alanen, longtime resident Jim Wiinanen, local historian Skip Lamb, and author Brian Tofte. Learn more »
Voices from the Past Cemetery Walk
October 3 & 4 @ 12 to 4 pm - Winona: Winona County Historical Society - Explore Woodlawn Cemetery and hear community actors portray people from Winona’s past, focusing on the theme, “Winonans Just Wanna Have Fun!” Two accessible performances will be held at the History Center on October 1 at 5 pm and at 6:30 pm. Cost: $5-$10. Learn more »
Grave Matters: The Story of a City as Told Through its Cemetery
October 4 @ 1 to 2:30 pm - Minneapolis: Hennepin History Museum - Join Alex Weston for a guided walk through Pioneer & Soldiers Memorial Cemetery, Minneapolis’s oldest cemetery, where more than 22,000 people were buried between 1853 and 1919. Through the stories of overlooked everyday residents, the tour reconstructs Minneapolis history from its founding through its rise as a major city. Cost: $15–$20. Learn more »
Folks of Minnesota: Portraits and Stories of LGBTQ Central Minnesotans - Artist Reception
October 9 @ 4 to 6 pm - St. Cloud: Paramount Center for the Arts - Celebrate an exhibition by photographer Max Brunner and writer Kelly Springer highlighting the beauty, grit, resilience, and lived experiences of queer people in Central Minnesota. Held during the St. Cloud Art Crawl, the reception includes refreshments and live music by Kyle Gray Young and Ida Metsberg. The exhibition is on view in Studio C now through the end of October. Cost: Free. Learn more »
Explore Minnesota - State of MN's Tourism website
Listings: Museums & Galleries | Culture & Heritage | Attractions & Entertainment
Register for an Account »
Highlighted Museum: Borgstrom House Museum operated by the Upsala Area Historical Society in Upsala, MN.
Human Behavior in Heritage Emergencies, Americas and Europe
September 30 @ 11 am to 12 pm (CT) - Online: Andor Vince - This webinar examines how psychological responses to crisis can shape emergency response and salvage practices for heritage collections. Moving beyond tools and procedures, collections care advisor and consultant Andor Vince will explore how disasters affect people and how those responses may either hinder or support effective preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. Cost: Free. Learn more »
Bridging Historical and Civic Practice
October 1 @ 2 to 3:15 pm (CT) - Online: American Association for State and Local History - Part of AASLH’s History & Democracy Initiative, this webinar explores how history organizations can help strengthen American civic culture and democratic life. It pairs broad perspectives on the history field’s public role with practical case studies of programming and partnerships that support civic participation, productive dialogue, community connection, critical thinking, collective problem-solving, and collaboration across sectors. Designed for history practitioners at all career stages and organizations of any mission, size, or location, the session is also relevant to professionals in adjacent fields seeking stronger partnerships with the history sector. Cost: $25 members; $45 nonmembers. Learn more »
Collection Moves: Success through Flexibility & Realistic Expectations
October 6 @ 3 to 4 pm (CT) - Online: Connecting to Collections Care - Using the Minnesota Historical Society’s Ramsey House rehabilitation project as a case study, Todd Topper, Senior Collections Manager at the Minnesota Historical Society, will explain how staff prepared approximately 18,000 objects and artworks for relocation. The webinar covers planning, inventorying, documentation, packing, staging, and object movement, as well as coordination among collections staff, contractors, movers, and other project partners. Participants will gain practical workflows for major collection moves and learn how clear communication, flexibility, and realistic expectations can help teams adapt when plans change during a rehabilitation or restoration project. Cost: Free. Learn more »
Fundamentals of Nonprofit Finance
October 7 @ 9 am to 12 pm (CT) - Online: Propel Nonprofits - Build confidence in nonprofit financial management through an introductory workshop for new nonprofit staff, board members, and professionals new to nonprofit finance. Participants will learn essential terminology; review core financial reports, including the income statement (statement of activities) and balance sheet (statement of financial position); and clarify the distinct financial roles and responsibilities of staff and board members. Cost: $95. Learn more »
Connecting with Teachers and Students through National History Day
October 8 @ 2 to 3:15 pm (CT) - Online: American Association for State and Local History - Learn how partnering with National History Day can broaden your institution’s reach, advance its mission, and create professional-development opportunities for staff. Speakers from National History Day, the Tennessee Historical Society, the Utah Historical Society, and a small house museum will share perspectives and practical approaches for engaging teachers and students through the program. Cost: $25 members; $45 nonmembers. Learn more »
Additional Educational Opportunities »
Chapman Prize
Deadline - September 30: The Chapman Prize - Honors charitable individuals and organizations making innovative, significant contributions to American society. The 2026 theme is Arts & Culture, recognizing work that advances the arts and strengthens cultural life. Learn more »
Community Grants Span Arts, Education, Health, and Environment
Deadlines - November 10, Fall Round; May 10, Spring Round: Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation - Supports IRS-qualified nonprofit organizations throughout the United States, particularly community-based groups for which a relatively small grant can make a meaningful difference. Eligible requests may support museums; cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; youth, senior, and disability programs; education and skills training; environmental and wildlife protection; and other community-based initiatives. Grant Amount: Typically $1,000–$20,000. Learn more »
Brooks and Joan Fortune Foundation Grants
Applications accepted through December 31 – This Foundation primarily provides funds to support education, art, and outreach programs and projects. Learn more »
Emergency/Intervention Funding
National Trust for Historic Preservation - Intervention funding from the National Trust is awarded in emergency situations when immediate and unanticipated work is needed to save a historic structure, such as when a fire or other natural disaster strikes. Funding is restricted to nonprofit organizations and public agencies. Emergency grants typically range from $1,000 to $5,000, but unlike the majority of their grant funding, a cash match is not required for intervention projects. Learn more »
Additional Funding & Award Opportunities »
Vintage Museum Photo: Alpha Depot Museum on the Jackson County Fairgrounds, Jackson, MN (ca. 1982). View additional photos on Instagram »
This section features slides taken of Minnesota history museums from the 1970s through the 1990s by David Nystuen, the MNHS Field Services Coordinator, and other Field Services representatives during that time period.
Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum Welcomes Visitors at New Campus
Lakeland PBS - After years of planning and development, the Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum had a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday for its new facility near Camp Ripley. The collection spans from the Civil War through the present day, highlighting the experiences of Minnesotans who served in the nation’s defense. As part of the weekend’s events, the museum held a 9/11 memorial on Friday. Watch video »
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Featured BookWalking My Ancestors' Path: A Collection of Paintings and Stories, by Sam Zimmerman/ Zhaawanoogiizhik Minnesota Historical Society Press. Book launch & Exhibit Opening |
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Minnesota History Organizations Directory• County, Chapters, and Local |
Minnesota Main Streets |
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Preservation Specialists Directory |
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