Mill City Museum presents programs from the Baking Memories series in January. The programs take place in the museum's Baking Lab where recipes are compared and the history of baking is shared. These programs are included with museum admission of $11 for adults, $9 for senior and college students and $6 for children ages 6-17. Museum admission is free for MNHS members.

Event: Baking Memories: Scratch vs. Mix: Which Brownie is Better?
Date: Saturday, Jan. 11
Time: 2 p.m.
Cost: Free with admission

Mill City Museum staff put the recipes to the test in the museum's Baking Lab during a demonstration of baking brownies from scratch versus using a mix. Taste the finished results to see how quick and convenient mixes measure up to baking fresh from scratch. Visitors will be able to vote for their favorite. Museum staff will share the history of the baking mix and how it developed over time. Learn some tips for baking at home and bring home a copy of the recipe.

Event: Baking Memories: White vs. Whole Wheat: A Tale of Two Flours
Date: Sunday, Jan. 26
Time: 2 p.m.
Cost: Free with admission

The pros and cons of white and whole wheat flour have been widely debated for years. Learn about the broad appeal of white flour in the 19th century, how Minneapolis millers perfected a way to make white flour on an industrial scale and what effects this had on nutrition. Hear why flour today is frequently enriched. Visitors will also find out why a man named Sylvester Graham developed a whole wheat cracker "to improve health and morality." Visitors can sample baked goods and take home the recipes.

Event: Washburn A Mill Tour
Dates: Saturday, Jan. 4 and 18
Time: 1 p.m.
Fee: $14 adults, $12 seniors and college students, $10 children ages 6-17 and MNHS members. Tour includes museum admission.
Reservations: required, call 612-341-7555 or register online

In addition to regular exhibits and free programs, Mill City Museum offers behind-the-scenes tours of the Washburn A Mill complex on select Saturdays throughout the year. A museum interpreter will take visitors into the building’s many nooks and crannies, highlighting the lives of the men and women who worked there, how the building functioned during its peak flour milling years and the many changes to the building over time.

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 includes admission to the museum gallery, Baking Lab, Water Lab and Flour Tower show.

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.

About the Minnesota Historical Society

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.