Events at Mill City Museum this spring are educational and fun for the whole family.

Milwaukee Avenue: Community Building in Minneapolis, with Author Robert Roscoe
Date: Thursday, May 1
Time: 7 p.m.
Cost: FREE

Author Robert Roscoe will give an illustrated presentation based on his new book, "Milwaukee Avenue: Community Building in Minneapolis." Roscoe will discuss how in the 1970s,a politically savvy and hardworking neighborhood organization, the Seward West Project Area Committee, stopped a proposed plan which would have demolished all of the houses on Milwaukee Avenue, houses that are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Roscoe's book will be for sale, and after his talk he will sign copies.

Washburn A Mill Tour
Date: Saturday, May 3, and Saturday, May 17
Time: 1 p.m.
Cost: $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.

A museum interpreter will take visitors into the nooks and crannies of the historic Washburn A Mill and the award-winning Mill City Museum. The tour will highlight the lives of 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 tour is the only opportunity to see some of the building's non-public places.

Family Day: Keystones of the Stone Arch Bridge
Date: Saturday, May 10
Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cost: Program included with museum admission of $11 adults, $9 seniors and college students, $6 children ages 6-17; free for MNHS members.

Celebrate Mother's Day a day early with activities for the whole family. Young visitors can join in a story time led by Carolyn Ruff, author of "Keystones of the Stone Arch Bridge." Other activities include building a Roman arch like those on the Stone Arch bridge, making a cast of local fossils, viewing a flour dust explosion demonstration, listening to music by a brass ensemble and more.

Baking Memories: Pillsbury Bake-Off Through the Years
Date: Sunday, May 18
Time: 2 p.m.
Cost: Programs included with museum admission of of $11 adults, $9 seniors and college students, $6 children ages 6-17; free for MNHS members.

See how history is revealed in a demonstration of Chocolate Cherry Bars, a Pillsbury Bake-Off winning recipe from 1974. Learn about the 60-year history of the Bake-Off, sample treats, get baking tips and take home a copy of the recipe.

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.