Legacy Amendment Supports $349,104 in Small Grants to History Organizations Throughout Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. (October 23, 2026) – The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) is pleased to announce the newest recipients of 21 Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Small Grants ($20,000 and less), totaling $349,104 in 11 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 September 10, 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 2027 July 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.

Caponi Art Park, Eagan, $19,065
To document up to 22 oral history interviews the history of Caponi Art Park in Eagan.

Cathedral of Saint Paul, St. Paul, $9,249
To provide an appropriate storage space and storage materials for an historic collection.

City of Afton, Afton, $8,150
To hire a qualified consultant to write text for ten sites of historical significance in the Valley Creek area for a future history tour.

City of Appleton, Appleton, $20,000
To revise and improve scripts for Minnesota River National Scenic Byway history tours.

City of Buffalo (MN Heritage Preservation Advisory Board), Buffalo, $14,110
To hire a qualified historian to complete an evaluation to determine eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places for the 1935 Buffalo Lake Scenic Overlook.

City of Excelsior, Excelsior, $20,000
To hire a qualified architect to conduct a conditions assessment of the 1899-1901 Excelsior Public School, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

City of Hackensack, Hackensack, $20,000
To hire qualified technicians to upgrade the furnace in the 1936 Hackensack Conservation Building, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

City of Minneapolis (Community Planning & Economic Development), Minneapolis, $15,000
To hire a qualified consultant to research the history of settlement houses in Minneapolis.

City of Porter, Porter, $15,000
To hire a qualified historian to complete an evaluation to determine eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places for the 1903 Porter Jail.

Face to Face Health & Counseling Service, Inc., St. Paul, $16,589
To document in 10 oral history interviews the history of Face to Face Health & Counseling Service.

Global Minnesota, Minneapolis, $20,000
To hire qualified professionals to publish a book on the 75th anniversary of the founding of Global Minnesota.

Great Northern Railway Historical Society, St. Paul, $18,457
To provide better organization of a significant group of historic railroad records, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.

Highland Heritage Project, St. Paul, $16,300
To hire qualified professionals to produce a final script on the history of Jewish and Christian residents of Highland Park, St. Paul.

Jackson County Historical Society, Lakefield, $6,000
To provide better organization of the museum collections, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.

La Crescent Area Historical Society, La Crescent, $13,600
To provide better organization of the museum collections, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.

Regents of the University of Minnesota (UMN SPA), Minneapolis, $19,900
To hire a qualified consultant to research the history of civic leadership in Minnesota, 1945-2025, in preparation for a future exhibit.

St. Olaf College, Northfield, $19,934
To document in 9 oral history interviews the history of the 1918 St. Peter and St. Paul Orthodox Church's 1967-8 restoration.

TCMediaNow, Maplewood, $20,000
To create a publicly accessible website and searchable database for TCMediaNow’s Minnesota audiovisual archives.

The Trust for Public Land, St. Paul, $17,750
To document in 15 oral history interviews the history of Central Village Park, a neighborhood developed after I-94 was built through the Rondo neighborhood in St. Paul.

Twin Cities Cable Arts Consortium, Minneapolis, $20,000
To hire qualified professionals to produce a script on the early history of community access television in Minnesota.

Washington County Historical Society, Stillwater, $20,000
To hire a qualified consultant to write an exhibit plan for the history of Stillwater High School.

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 January 8, 2027 and April 9, 2027. 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.