Learn about baking history and compare recipes with the Baking Memories series. In February two programs highlight popular items, the Tunnel of Fudge Cake and the rise of convenience foods. Held in the museum's Baking Lab the 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: Tunnel of Fudge Cake
Date: Saturday, Feb. 8
Time: 2 p.m.
Cost: Free with museum admission of $11 adults, $9 seniors and college students, $6 children ages 6-17; free for MNHS members.

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

Event: Baking Memories: The Rise of Convenience Foods
Date: Sunday, Feb. 23
Time: 2 p.m.
Cost: Free with museum admission of $11 adults, $9 seniors and college students, $6 children ages 6-17; free for MNHS members

The postwar years 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.

Event: Washburn A Mill Tour
Date: Saturday, Feb. 1 and 15
Time: 1 p.m.
Cost: $14 adults, $12 senior and college students, $10 children ages 6-17 and MNHS members. Tour includes museum admission.
Reservations: required; call 612-341-7555 or register online.

The Washburn A Mill Tour is the only opportunity for a guided tour of the entire museum, including its non-public spaces. Learn how the building functioned during its peak flour milling years and the many changes to the building over time. Beyond seeing the space, learn about the men and women who worked at the mill during its peak years and the tragic explosion that claimed 18 lives in 1878. The tour includes admission to the museum gallery, Baking Lab, Water Lab and Flour Tower show.

About Mill City Museum
Built within the ruins of the Washburn A Mill, a National Historic Landmark, the award-winning Mill City Museum chronicles the flour milling industry that fueled the growth of Minneapolis. The story comes to life through the eight-story Flour Tower, Water Lab, Baking Lab and other hands-on exhibits.

The museum is located at 704 S. Second St. in Minneapolis. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. The site is also open Mondays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in July and August. For more information, call 612-341-7555 or visit www.millcitymuseum.org.

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.