Minnesota History Center

I visited the Minnesota history center last Saturday to see the Mill city Quartet perform music by women composers for women's history month. Parking was spacious and available for $6. When I walked in, I was immediately in love with the space: it felt warm and inviting and the natural beauty of the building was breathtaking. The auditorium is an acoustic delight, and the performance was so captivating. I appreciate their diverse programming and free events offered throughout the month.There was an exhibit by the Smithsonian on girlhood and women's history, and other informational exhibits about the various historical elements of Minnesota's development. I can't wait to come back and see the other exhibits!

A beautiful space in the heart of St Paul. I love the architecture, open stairways, and windows to frame the city views. I attended a speaker event that was related to their current exhibit Girlhood, It's Complicated. I appreciate how the speakers relate to their exhibits to provide additional education. The speaker event was very well done. I liked the exhibit. I could easily replace the 1980s basketball team pic with my own and you would never know the difference. Being a huge basketball fan, I appreciated the attention given to our amazing local talent. Great exhibit on menstruation as well. It's part of life. Why should anyone be afraid to talk about it. I didn't have a lot of time to see the other exhibits but I did like the feel of being in a mine and bellying up to the soda counter. Fun few hours.

One of the best history museums I've ever been to. Big, beautiful building, immaculately clean, friendly staff, and well thought out, informative exhibits. My girlfriend, nine year old son and I came here on a Saturday morning in March. We are from NJ and loved learning about Minnesotan history. It wasn't crowded at all and we were able to enjoy all of the exhibits at a leisurely pace, including the special exhibit about Charles Schulz, hometown hero and creator of the comic strip Peanuts. My son especially enjoyed the tornado room, the mining section, grain elevator playground, and learning about how native Americans used the different parts of the bison. Definitely recommended for people who enjoy history and for people with children.

A couple of months go, I had found out about the Life and Art of Charles M. Schulz exhibit on FOX 9 Good Day. As someone grew up reading Peanuts comic strip, it made sense to check it out. I purchased a ticket online. It was $12. You get a receipt, which is your ticket.This exhibit runs until June 9, 2024 at the Minnesota History Center. I dropped by early last month on a Sunday afternoon.It was a gloomy, rainy day. It was perfect to be indoors. I had no problem heading over to the downtown Saint Paul area. I am kind of used to it because I see Wild hockey games at Xcel Energy Center. Minnesota History Center is close by.The first thing I noticed was a clear view of the Minnesota State Capitol. I would learn later that you can view it well inside the Minnesota History Center itself!I found the parking lot. It's $6 for parking. I paid with a credit card with the help of the parking attendant. Done!No one checks your ticket. It's the honour system. There is a ticket counter where you can purchase tickets if you didn't have a chance to get them online.The Schulz exhibit was excellent. It's a self-guided tour where you get to see Peanuts comic strips and their characters, and fascinating details about them and the cartoonist.I loved a map that pinpointed Schulz's life and where he lived in the Twin Cities. I learned about how comic strips were coloured before they went digital. I also loved that every Peanuts character got a special profile, including when it was first introduced, its character profile, the history behind the character's development, and comic strips featuring that character. Excellent!Charlie Brown was the first character that Schulz introduced in October 2, 1950. He felt that he was an ordinary looking person in appearance. When he developed Charlie Brown, he made the character have a round, ordinary face.This centre has other exhibits that were equally fun and informative:- Our home: Native Minnesota- Then and Now- Weather PermittingOur home: Native Minnesota put the spotlight on each nation and its culture. I learned about its struggles, the need to preserve their customs and culture, and more. Seeing how detailed their clothes were for various ceremonies and personal accounts from Native Minnesotans was amazing and thought-provoking. This exhibit was excellent. Then and Now was the most interactive out of the exhibits. You could simulate being a miner by drilling and working in an underground iron mine. There was a teepee that you could explore. I liked standing next to the Jolly Green Giant. It was a feat trying to pose for a photo with it because I looked so tiny! There is an actual Jolly Green Giant statue in Blue Earth, MN. It's apparently 55 feet high and green.Weather Permitting is exactly what you think the exhibit's theme is about. It's warm in the summer in the state, but can get super frigid in the winter. I learned about the weather ball on top of the Northwestern National Bank building. The ball changed colour based on the weather condition. The ball died in 1982. Both the building and ball were demolished in 2000.This centre has stairs and elevators. It's a stunning building architecturally. It was enjoyable walking around it. There were also washrooms that were well-maintained.I visited the museum shop. I finally found a Minnesota keychain that has my name on a replica licence plate. I was thrilled! I also got a small Snoopy pouch and a cute Minnesota state plushie.The woman at the payment counter was extremely nice and personable. I paid with a credit card and got a small paper bag for my items. I thanked her and headed out the door.The centre closes at 4 pm on Sundays. There is a cafe, Market Place, that you pass by between the parking lot and the actual center. It closes an hour before the center does, which I found a bit sad. I feel that they should both close at the same time, likely because I hadn't had lunch yet!I will be getting a membership to the Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS). I had a fabulous time. It makes sense to support the society's efforts putting together the research and artifacts behind the exhibits. A membership provides free admission to 26 historic sites and museums in the state. You also get free parking at the Minnesota History Center and Historic Fort Snelling. I also like the 10% discount at all MNHS museum stores an its online store.It's a steal to show your support for MNHS.If you are looking for a touristy place that is fun and affordable, come here. I look forward to returning. I had an excellent experience.(357)

Fun times are always had at the History Center!We decided to go to "free" day and we had a good time. We checked out some cool exhibits and had some fun as well. They do a great job on showing you the history of Minnesota and what makes us great. 2 best exhibits: the tornado one and the world war 2 airplane one. They explain history very well and make you feel like you're actually there.Parking can be tight on busier days but plenty to do around there.

Fantastic first visit to the history center in St Paul. Went for the current Snoopy/Shultz exhibit stayed for all of the other amazing experiences and information!Really enjoyed all of the exhibits! When we toured it included Life & Art of Charles Schulz, Our Home Native MN, Then Now Wow, Grainland, Weather zPermitting, and Minnesotas Greatest Generation.Each one had a standout item for everyone in our group! Tracing Snoopy, the Sod House exhibit, D-day transport plane, the iron ore mine, the fur post, stories in a tipi, 1930s soda fountain, climbing up a grain elevator, learning about the Native peoples!So many great interactive exhibits all on one floor! Check this fabulous museum out!!Free parking behind the building. I had a difficult time navigating that for some reason. Navigating the exhibits was much easier!

I was lucky. I had time to visit this museum before it closed on a Thursday evening. They had some sort of event where admission to the museum was free. Scored!I was staying nearby at the Radisson hotel - downtown St Paul, do the Minnesota history museum was a short walk away from there. I didn't know that the museum had an event that night that gave everyone free admission, but I was about to pony up whatever before they told me otherwise. I was pleasantly surprised when they told me. With that said, I picked up a map of the museum from the admissions guy and started to look around the museum. I arrived here around 5pm and left just before closing at 8pm. It was probably enough time to see everything but could have used more time. They had a gallery for the cartoonist Charles M Schultz, who created the Peanuts and Snoopy. This was the most active one with maybe 35 people in the room. I learned later that the exhibit was ending soon, so I was lucky to see it. It was neat to learn that Mr Schultz lives in the Twin Cities. It was cool to read about the individual characters and see various Peanut strips displayed there. I also learned about the Jim Crowe and how it relates to social and cultural aspects in Minnesota. There are other exhibits that highlights the native Americans and the impacts and importance in Minnesota history. The Minnesota history museum showcases all things about the modern history we know it as. Post 1500 AD. How Minnesota became a state after countless confrontations with the local native Americans tribes. Then the decades that flowed that turned what you see Minnesota today.The overall experience here at the Minnesota history museum was very insightful and enlightening. I only had like 2 1/2 hours to go through everything but it was a quick one. I was glad that they closed at 8pm and thankful it was summer time and the daylight was longer, so I could get back to the hotel without getting lost. I learned a lot about the history that surrounds Minneapolis-St Paul as well as the entire state of Minnesota. It was a tragedy to hear about the countless clashes with the Native Americans with the fledgling American Government in these times, but it was what it was. I learned a lot from the Jim Crowe exhibit as well, how racism and laws really can limit a group of people in this country. So much prejudice and misappropriation of life and liberty in this country during the 1800's became the norm until things changed for the better in the 1960's, namely the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Minnesota History Museum was quite large, included 3 stories of exhibits, a gift center, and various offices. There was also a replica of an early commercial airplane, which I think is a replica. The last exhibit I found during my time here was the tornado storm cellar. It was kind of cute and geared more for the kids, but I have not experienced a tornado yet, so thought it would be interesting. The presentation was brief but was very lifelike. I'm sure I would be terrified if I was going thru a tornado in real time. With that said, the Minnesota History Museum is a great place to be. As a tourist, I was glad that they had a free admission day while I was there. This may be the hidden gem in St. Paul. Go have a look and it may be worth your time and money.The Minnesota History Museum is located in St. Paul, Minnesota. It's physically located at 345 W Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul. They charge an admission for adults and children who visit. They also have free admission evenings too, which somehow was lucky to get while visiting St. Paul. They accept major credit cards as well as cash. They also do online ticketing, so when you get there, you would show your online receipt and you'll be free to explore the various exhibits they have displayed. As far as parking goes, they have a parking spaces for everyone and everyone. As for me though, I walked it from the Raddison Hotel downtown St. Paul nearby. There is public transportation in St. Paul, so best to check out the right routes to get you here, or at least close to the museum. The museum has varying hours, so do check those before you head down. As always, Uber and Lyft can be an option too, if you wanted. I must say, I enjoyed the Jim Crowe and the Native American exhibits. While I did grow up with the Snoopy gang, the Charles Schultz exhibit was pretty cool and nostalglic. The tornado shelter one creeped me out, but that's how it is. It was cool to be here to kill time before dinner and learn a lot about the history of Minnesota.5.0 stars for the overall experience.Support local!A+

Came here for their Thursday evening free admission. So the exhibit the greatest generation. Really well done, and I wish we had time to do other exhibits. Also, the parking is free Thursday evening.

Likes it well enough to get a yearly pass. Covers 26 sites! Best deal in MN!!! Great exhibit for Sherlock Holmes but it's ending soon. Very interactive.

I couldn't help but be disappointed with my visit a few months ago:We went to see the Peanuts special exhibit as I am a massive Snoopy fan. With all the hype and social media ads I was expecting an extensive exhibit, but was surprised to find that it was little more than one small room. There was very little in the way of actual historical artifacts save for some Peanuts merchandise and memorabilia that many Minnesotans probably have in their family's basement. None of the actual comic strips, just printed reproductions. Since we had paid for regular admission we did the rest of the museum as well and I found myself disappointed with it as well. I remember going to the History Center for school field trips and with my family during spring break and I was shocked to find that none of the exhibits had changed at all since my last childhood visit--the same three or four galleries, again with little in the way of actual historical items.With museums already facing difficulties in bringing in visitors, I would think that a place like the History Center would be keeping up with trends/public interest and amending their exhibits accordingly to show visitors history in conversation with current events, via real artifacts to look at. I don't know if the HC doesn't have any of these artifacts or isn't willing to put them on display but there was a distinct lack of things to actually look at--just placards and copy.Unfortunately I don't see coming back to the HC for another decade--when my nostalgia wants me to see the same old stuff.