Legacy Amendment Supports $276,946 in Small Grants to History Organizations Throughout Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. (April 13, 2026) – The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) is pleased to announce the newest recipients of 20 Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Small Grants ($20,000 and less), totaling $276,946 in 17 counties.

Small grants are awarded quarterly to help nonprofits, educational organizations, government units, and federally recognized Tribes to preserve and share Minnesota history. This cycle of awards was approved by the MNHS Executive Council on March 12, 2026.

Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants are made possible by the Legacy Amendment's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on Nov. 4, 2008. The Legacy Amendment supports efforts to preserve Minnesota land, water, and legacy, including Minnesota history and cultural heritage.

Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Small Grant Recipients
Recipients of small grants ($20,000 and less) from the fiscal year 2026 January small grants cycle are listed in alphabetical order below. Each project will preserve and enhance Minnesota’s cultural and historical resources. All grants are competitive and awarded according to program guidelines and criteria, as well as professional standards. 

Carver County Historical Society, Waconia, $9,608
To add 118 rolls of microfilmed Carver County newspapers to make primary records more accessible to the public.

City of Clinton, Clinton, $10,000
To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of a Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Depot, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Cook County Historical Society, Grand Marais, $19,837
To improve collections care and management through an updated collections management system.

Delano Franklin Township Area Historical Society, Delano, $9,000
To hire a qualified consultant to research the history of the Delano and Franklin Township area in preparation for a future exhibit.

Dodge County, Mantorville, $19,500
To hire a qualified architect to conduct a conditions assessment of the Saint John's Episcopal Church, a contributing structure in the Mantorville Historic District, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Harmony Area Historical Society, Harmony, $15,712
To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of the McMichael Grain Elevator, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Lac qui Parle County Historical Society, Madison, $11,315
To purchase a microfilm reader/printer/scanner to make microfilmed records more accessible to the public.

Lake Benton Opera House, Inc., Lake Benton, $20,000
To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of the Opera House and Kimball Building, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Lake County Historical Society, Two Harbors, $13,000
To hire a qualified architect to conduct a conditions assessment of the John Dwan Office Building, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Lake Minnetonka Historical Society, Wayzata, $9,850
To improve collections care and management through an updated collections management system.

Lowertown Arts, St. Paul, $19,999
To hire a qualified architect to conduct a conditions assessment of the 255 Kellogg Boulevard E Building, listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing part of the Lowertown Historic District.

Minnesota Marine Art Museum, Winona, $9,995
To hire a qualified consultant to research the history of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in preparation for a future art exhibit.

Minnesota Special Education Leaders Foundation (MNSELF), Red Wing, $15,540
To hire qualified professionals to publish a book on the history of special education for children in Minnesota, 1960-2025.

Nobles County Historical Society, Worthington, $10,520
To digitize part of a large collection of photo negatives from the Worthington Daily Globe newspaper, allowing for greater public access to this historic resource.

Osakis Public Schools (ISD #213), Osakis, $2,000
To add Minnesota history books that center Anishinaabe and Dakota voices to the school's library holdings to make this information more accessible to the public.

Ramsey County Historical Society, St. Paul, $19,650
To hire qualified consultants to develop and install an exhibit on the Hmong in Ramsey County.

St. Louis County Historical Society, Duluth, $6,651
To hire a consultant to assess and write a collections storage plan, which will allow better storage conditions for the museum's collections.

Twin Cities Tracks, Minneapolis, $14,915
To research the history of Latvians in Minnesota in preparation for a future documentary film.

White Bear Lake Area Historical Society, White Bear Lake, $19,855
To hire qualified professionals to repair the porch on the Charles P. Noyes Cottage, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Woodbury Heritage Society, Woodbury, $19,999
To provide better organization of the museum collections, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.

Grants are available for history and historic preservation projects in two funding tiers. Small grants of $20,000 or less are awarded quarterly. The next small grant application deadlines are April 10, 2026 and July 10, 2026. Large grants of more than $20,000 are offered once a year. All grants are administered through a competitive process using professional standards and criteria.

For more information on the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants program, including application deadlines, visit www.mnhs.org/preservation/legacy-grants. Applications are accepted only through the MNHS grants portal. 

About the Minnesota Historical Society
The Minnesota Historical Society is a non-profit educational and cultural institution established in 1849. MNHS 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, MNHS preserves our past, shares our state’s stories, and connects people with history.