This November, guests can take part in tours and programs that provide an in-depth look at the history of milling and baking in Minnesota.

Washburn A Mill Tour
Date: Saturdays, Nov. 1 and 15
Time: 1 p.m.
Cost: $14 for adults, $12 for seniors and college students, $10 for children ages 6-17 and MNHS members. Tour includes museum admission.

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. Reservations are required and can be made online or by calling 612-341-7555.

Baking Memories: White vs. Whole Wheat
Date: Saturday, Nov. 8
Time: 2 p.m.
Cost: Programs included with museum admission of $11 for adults, $9 for seniors and college students, $6 for children ages 6-17; free for MNHS members.

See how history is revealed in food through 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.

Pie School with Author Kate Lebo
Date: Nov. 15, 2014
Time: 12:30 and 2 p.m.
Cost: Programs included with museum admission of $11 adults, $9 seniors and college students, $6 children ages 6-17; free for MNHS members.

Visit the Baking Lab for a series of demonstrations on the art of all things pie. This program will be led by Seattle's "Pie Poet" Kate Lebo, author of the brand new book "Pie School: Lessons in Fruit, Flour, and Butter."

Baking Memories: Tunnel of Fudge Cake
Date: Sunday, Nov. 23
Time: 2 p.m.
Cost: Programs included with museum admission of $11 for adults, $9 for seniors and college students, $6 for 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 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 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.