Warm Your Heart This Winter With Snoopy and Friends

Good grief! Winter can feel like the longest time of year, but the Minnesota History Center has an exhibit that will warm the hearts of visitors of all ages: The Life and Art of Charles M. Schulz, now on display. So bundle up this winter and bring friends and family to dive deep into the life and art of Minnesota’s most famous cartoonist and the world he created at a brand new exhibit.

Charles Monroe Schulz helped brighten the world for five decades with his Peanuts comic strip, which debuted on October 2, 1950. Featuring iconic characters like Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the Peanuts Gang, Schulz used his comics to explore the emotional territory of friendship, faith, tolerance, and disappointment.

Photos Courtesy of Minnesota History Center

In the last week of December, come in for special Holiday Hijinx days over winter break, where you can learn about the cartoonist’s life-long connection to Minnesota winters and participate in special hands-on activities.

In February, we welcome historian Blake Scott Ball as he takes a scholarly look at the voice Peanuts had in the national conversations taking place in America at the time, including the Vietnam War, racial integration, feminism, and the future of a nuclear world. His lecture, titled “Charlie Brown’s America,” is a part of the History Forum series of lectures, and will take place Feb. 10, with both in-person and virtual livestream tickets available.

Throughout the long dark days of winter, a visit to the Charles Schulz exhibit is sure to brighten the mood and provide a welcome relief from cabin fever. This interactive exhibit follows Schulz from his Minnesota roots to his later years in California, tracking the development of the unique characters that make up the world of Peanuts.

Schulz revolutionized the art of the comic strip through his single-handed dedication to the art, wit, and wisdom of Peanuts. For 50 years he researched, designed, and drew each Peanuts strip, producing nearly 18,000 strips in total. Schulz’s comic strip characters were also the inspiration for nearly 50 television specials, four movies, two plays, a symphonic concerto, books, and thousands of licensed products.

Dozens of Peanuts comic strips, Schulz quotes, and photographs illuminate the story behind the creation of this most popular and influential cartoon strip. Unique objects and photos from Minnesota Historical Society collections reveal how Schulz’s formative experiences in St. Paul stayed with him for the rest of his life. Additional family-friendly exhibit features include a lounge with books, puzzles, and drawing tables to sketch Peanuts fan favorites.

You don’t want to miss this family-friendly exhibit with exciting Minnesota ties! Click here to secure your tickets today.