February at Mill City Museum offers tours of the historic Washburn A Mill as well as programs and demonstrations in the museum's Baking Lab. Learn about the award-winning Tunnel of Fudge cake on Feb. 9 and cake mix and the history of convenience foods on Feb. 24

Washburn A Mill Tour
Feb. 2 and 16, 2013
1 p.m.
$14 adults, $12 seniors and college students, $10 children ages 6-17 and MHS members. Tour includes museum admission.

Take an in-depth look at the historic Washburn A Mill complex with this guided tour. A museum interpreter will take visitors deep into the building, exploring its nooks and crannies while highlighting the lives of the men and women who once made the mill so vibrant. Guests will delve into the rich and varied history of the building, learning how it functioned during its peak years as a flour mill and also how it has changed over the years.

This is the only opportunity for a guided tour through the entire museum building, and the only chance to see some of its non-public spaces. The tour also includes admission to the museum gallery, Baking Lab, Water Lab and Flour Tower show. Visit the stunning Mill City Museum and come along on this once-only walk through history.

Tunnel of Fudge Cake, the Bake-Off and the Bundt Pan
Feb. 9, 2013
2 p.m.
Included with museum admission of $11 adults, $9 seniors and college students, $6 children ages 6-17; free for MHS members.

See how history is revealed in food as Mill City Museum staff lead a demonstration in the Baking Lab. Explore the history of the 1966 Pillsbury Bake-Off Second-place winning recipe, The Tunnel of Fudge Cake, its connection to local company Nordic Ware, makers of the Bundt Pan, and the fascination bakers today hold for replicating the recipe. Visitors can learn about baking history, sample the cake, get baking tips and take home a copy of the recipe.

Cake Mix and the Rise of Convenience Foods
Feb. 24, 2013
2 p.m.
Included with museum admission of $11 adults, $9 seniors and college students, $6 children ages 6-17; free for MHS members.

The postwar era of the late 1940s and 1950s ushered in a new era of kitchen conveniences. Many of the technologies that made this possible were developed by the American food industry during the Second World War. Did housewives want these easy-to-use products and appliances or were food companies creating a market for their goods by exaggerating the drudgery of home cooking? Using the example of the cake mix, this demonstration will answer this question, highlighting the dramatic changes in cooking habits during this era and how those innovations affect our lives today. Visitors will learn about food history, sample cakes made from scratch and from mix, and take home a copy of a recipe.

About the Minnesota Historical Society

The Society’s calendar of events is posted online at www.mnhs.org/calendar. The website also has information about all of the Society’s programs, museums and historic sites.

The Minnesota Historical Society is a non-profit educational and cultural institution established in 1849. The Society collects, preserves and tells the story of Minnesota’s past through museum exhibits, libraries and collections, historic sites, educational programs and book publishing. Using the power of history to transform lives, the Society preserves our past, shares our state’s stories and connects people with history.

The Minnesota Historical Society is supported in part by its Premier Partners: Xcel Energy and Explore Minnesota Tourism.