Spend time at Mill City Museum in April learning about Minneapolis history through food, art and the physical museum space that once housed the Washburn A Mill, the largest flour mill in the world when it opened in 1874.

Programs include baking demonstrations, samples and take home recipes.

Baking Memories: White vs. Whole Wheat

Date: Saturday, April 12
Time: 2 p.m.
Cost: included with admission; $11 adults, $9 seniors and college students, $6 ages 6-17; free for kids under 5 and MNHS members.

See a baking demonstration focusing on the story behind white and whole wheat flour. Discover how Minneapolis millers perfected a way to make white flour on an industrial scale, hear about the popularity of white flour in the 19th century, what effects this had on nutrition and why flour today is frequently enriched. Visitors will also learn why Sylvester Graham developed a whole wheat cracker "to improve health and morality," hear the pros and cons of each type of flour, sample baked goods and take home the recipes.

Ode to Gluten Family Day

Date: Saturday, April 12
Time:1 to 4 p.m.
Cost:includedwith admission; $11 adults, $9 seniors and college students, $6 ages 6-17; free for kids under 5 and MNHS members.

Mill City Museum welcomes a large sculpture crafted by local multimedia artist Barbara Bridges titled "Ode to Gluten," on display April 4-22. Meet Bridges as she helps visitors create 3-D art pieces using their own imagination and "power objects." Participants are encouraged to bring a small object (maximum three-by-three inches) that has meaning to them, as the inspiration for their creation. Art materials will be available.

Cracked Walnut Literary Festival: Urbanization

Dates: Saturday, April 26
Time: 1 to 3:30 p.m.
Fee: Free

Cracked Walnut presents "Urbanization," a literary reading dedicated to the city of Minneapolis. Hear from local writers as they read or perform their own creative work that reflects the theme urbanization and Minneapolis. This reading is part of the 2014 Cracked Walnut Literary Festival, a series of 25 almost daily readings happening in the metro area. Each reading will feature a different cadre of writers in a different locale in the metro area. For more information visit http://www.Crackedwalnut.com.

Baking Memories: Tunnel of Fudge Cake

Date: Sunday, April 27
Time: 2 p.m.
Cost:includedwith museum admission; $11 adults, $9 seniors and college students, $6 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 history of 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 the recipe.

Washburn A Mill Tour

Date: April 5 and 19
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.

Take an in-depth look at the historic Washburn A Mill complex and the award-winning Mill City Museum building. 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.

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.

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.